sympathy for the devil
by splendidlyimperfect
Summary: When a seemingly average demon-hunting mission goes wrong, it leaves Gray badly injured and close to death. Erza decides to make a pact with a crossroads demon to save his life. Gray's interaction sets something off within him, which leads the gang back to the question of who he is, where he comes from, and what exactly his magic can do.
1. chapter 1 - bad moon rising

Hot blood trickled down Erza's forehead and she wiped it from her eyes, irritated. Her chest heaved with exertion and she growled, pushing herself back up to standing. The eldritch runes on her sword glowed with a faint greenish light that reflected up onto her face, which looked murderous.

"That bitch lied to us!" Natsu shouted, jumping back from the horrifying amalgamation of corpses and sharp teeth that was currently trying to eat him. "There's no way this is just a hellhound!"

"Are you really surprised?" Gray replied, standing in the center of a hastily sketched protection circle, hands out to steady the magic streaming off him. It shimmered around both Erza and Natsu, the faint bluish light mitigating a portion of the damage the beast inflicted. "She's a witch! She spelled us into this!"

"You're basically a witch, asshole," Natsu grunted, firing both his guns into what he hoped was the beast's head. It reared up on several of its legs and roared, spraying him with what appeared to be a mixture of blood and bile. "Gah!" He shouted, wiping at his face. "That's just disgusting."

"Out of my way," Erza snarled, hefting the blade in both hands. "Time to send this thing back to hell." She charged forward, leaping at the last minute and landing on the writhing mass of flesh. It squelched under her feet and she braced herself, lifting the runed sword over her head and driving it into the beast.

"Shit!" That was Gray's voice. Erza glanced over to see that the monster had spread out one of its many legs and damaged the protection circle, knocking Gray onto his back and dropping the auras around the other two. The beast howled in pain, bucking against Erza as she drove the blade into it again.

"Gray, watch out!" Natsu shouted, dashing across the clearing and sliding under the thing's legs, but he was too late. The clawed foot came down again, right in the centre of Gray's chest. There was a sickening crack and then a moment of silence before a scream of pain. "GRAY!"

"Go…back…to hell!" Erza shouted, bringing the sword down once again, this time in a swinging arc that nearly severed the creature in half. The runes on the blade shimmered, drawing out the beast's power until it began to writhe and fall to the ground. Erza jumped down from its back and swung a final time, satisfied when it shuddered and stilled, immediately dissolving to a pile of gray goop. Seconds later the clearing was placid, save for the anguished sounds of pain coming from Gray.

"Oh god," Erza murmured as she dropped to her knees beside him, exhausted and covered in gore. Natsu was hovering over Gray, gripping his hand and desperately trying to stem the gush of blood pouring from the fist sized wound in his chest. "Shitfuck. Okay, stay here, I'll grab the car."

"Hurry," Natsu pleaded, pressing down on the wound as Gray screwed his eyes shut and slammed his head back against the ground, gasping for air. Thick black marks were spreading from his chest and had already reached his neck, swirling in deadly patterns against his pale skin.

Erza leapt to her feet and dashed to the vehicle, ignoring her exhaustion as she leaped into the front seat and tossed the sword onto the passenger side. She threw the car into gear and slammed her foot on the gas, heart pounding in her ears. What the fuck had that witch been thinking? This hadn't been a minor demon – not even close. Erza's blood boiled as she fantasized about strangling the woman, but she also knew that the witch was likely their only chance at saving Gray.

"Let's get him in," she shouted as she pulled up beside the two boys. Blood was still pumping from the wound, even with Natsu's shirt and jacket attempting to keep it from spilling out. Erza jumped out and helped Natsu lift Gray into the back of the car as gently as possible, but he sobbed in pain as they slid him onto the seat.

"You're gonna be okay," Natsu murmured, crouching on the floor next to the seat and keeping pressure on the wound. Gray groaned, hands clenching into weak fists as Natsu brushed the hair from his face. "Get us back to that bitch," Natsu growled, turning to look at Erza. "She's gonna fix this, and then I'm gonna fucking kill her."

* * *

"There's nothing I can do." The dark-haired woman in front of them gave the news impassively and Natsu growled at her, low in his throat. Erza shivered in the damp cold of the basement. All around were jars and boxes full of things that she didn't recognize – and didn't want to.

"What do you mean? You've got magic, save him." Natsu clasped Gray's hand tighter. His partner was unconscious now – had passed out halfway back from the pain. The black marks had spread up across his cheeks and down to his fingertips, and they made Erza feel sick. "You fucking owe us, fix it!"

"I can't," the witch said simply, crossing her arms over her chest. When Erza had been little, before she had become a hunter, she had always thought that witches were old hags with warts and broomsticks. Bernice, however, was middle-aged, with a cream-coloured blouse and manicured nails. She hosted Tupperware parties while she wasn't hexing people. Fucking witches.

"Why the hell not?" Erza growled, stalking toward the witch and reaching out her hand as if to choke the woman. Instead she hit a barrier and Bernice looked at her condescendingly. Erza snarled, slamming her hand against the invisible wall. "We did what you wanted!"

"And I'm eternally grateful for you getting that demon off my back," Bernice said with a placid smile. "I've got one more job for you two and then you're free." She glanced over at Gray, who was twitching sporadically. "It won't take long. You can do it tomorrow, then come back for the body. I know you hunters have your rituals."

"He's not gonna die!" Natsu shouted, jumping to his feet and dropping his hand to the holster at his hip. He hissed and snatched his hand away from the gun when he realized that the metal was red-hot, glowing in response to the snap of Bernice's fingers.

Erza stepped closer to the witch, hands raised in surrender, putting herself between Bernice and Natsu. "Is there anything we can do?" She asked, glancing over at her friend. The marks were moving further up his face, twisting and turning on the surface of his skin. Bernice sighed, dropping the barrier but eyeing Erza warily.

"Only a demon's magic can undo a demon's curse," the witch said simply, walking over to a cupboard and running her finger along the ingredients. She pulled out a container and opened it, scooping out a thick, dark substance and walking back over to Gray.

"Don't you touch him, you-"

"Let her help him, Natsu." Erza held Natsu back, feeling his chest shaking under her forearm. His hands were balled into fists that tightened as Bernice lifted up Gray's head, smearing the substance onto the back of his neck. It smelled terrible.

"Don't ask me what it is, you don't want to know," the witch said as she settled Gray's head back on the table. "He might wake. This will keep the pain at bay." She stepped back out of the room and brought up her hand, drawing a quick rune in the air between them.

"I hope you understand, I need you for tomorrow," she said, snapping her fingers as the sigil burst apart and formed a transparent barrier between them. "I'll come back for you in the morning, you do the job, then take your friend's body and you'll never remember a thing."

Erza gritted her teeth, half tempted to take a swing at the barrier with her sword, but the magic of the runes had worn off and she had the feeling that tempered steel wouldn't be enough to cut through a witches' magic.

"He's not dying," Natsu whispered, voice pleading as he slumped back into the chair next to the bed. He ran a gentle hand over Gray's hair, eyeing the black marks worriedly.

"We'll see in the morning," Bernice replied, turning on her heel and heading up the stairs, locking the basement door behind her.

Erza was silent for a few moments, taking quick inventory of the room. There were likely many things in here that would get them out, but nothing that she or Natsu knew how to use. Gray was the spellcaster, but if he was unconscious...

"How do we fix this?" Natsu whispered, dropping his head to rest on Gray's shoulder. Erza sighed. Despite their taunts and insults, she'd seen time and time again how tender the two men were with each other. She moved to stand behind Natsu and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"She said regular magic can't fix it," Erza murmured, tapping her fingers against the hilt of her blade. "I could look in Gray's spellbooks but they're in the car. Which is inconveniently not here." She sighed, stalking over to the desk and digging through an assortment of odds and ends – half-used candles, various small coins, a bowl of what Erza thought might be human teeth, and a plastic bag that contained what was _definitely_ human hair.

"She said only demon magic can fix it," Natsu said, looking up at her. "Humans can't-"

"That's it." Erza sorted frantically through more and more bizarre items, trying not to touch the more disgusting things. "Help me look." Natsu stood slowly, frowning at her.

"For what?"

"Pictures of us. Things of ours." Erza grabbed a sheaf of paper, but all that was written on it were illegible runes. "She's been controlling us with some kind of spell, and she said she was going to use it to wipe our memories after. Which means she has something of ours – probably pictures."

Natsu nodded and moved to the other side of the room, quickly flipping through the open books and moving taxidermized cats and other small creatures out of the way.

"Why do we need..." Natsu trailed off, picking up a particularly heavy book written in an unfamiliar language. In between the pages were tucked three pictures – one of each of them. They looked like they'd been taken in the parking lot of their motel. He shuddered. "Man, I hate witches. I found 'em."

"Perfect." Erza grabbed the photo of herself and tore it until just her face remained, then shoved it into a matchbox that she'd taken from the desk. "Right now, you should be thankful for witches. They have everything we need." A small bone joined the photo, and a tiny white flower. "And I'm hoping this is from a graveyard." She sprinkled some dirt over the items, then slid the matchbox shut and shoved it in her pocket.

"Erza." Natsu's voice was suddenly serious and he grabbed her forearm, trying to catch her eyes. "You're not-"

"It's the only way to get a demon's magic," Erza insisted, pulling her arm out of his grip. "It's this or he dies." She glanced over at Gray, who was still unconscious and now becoming feverish, tossing his head back and forth as if dreaming. "Stay here with him. I'll be back soon."

"I can't let you-"

"It's not _up_ to you," she hissed. "This is my choice. You two are my family. I'm not letting him die and that's final, and if you think you can stop me, I'd like to see you try." Her hand dropped to the hilt of her sword and Natsu took a step back, raising both hands in the air in surrender.

"All right," he sighed, rubbing his face. He tugged one of the pistols from his holster and held it out to her. "Only got a few silver shots left in there, but you might need 'em if more hounds decide to show up." Erza accepted the weapon gratefully, tucking it into her pants. "How are you gonna get out of here?"

"She left behind the one spell I know how to do," Erza grinned, holding up a thick, black candle that was half-melted and already burning. She pulled Natsu into a one-armed hug, then moved over to crouch next to Gray. "Hold on," she whispered, kissing his forehead gently. "I'll be back soon."

Then she stood, moving toward the window and using the candle's flame to draw a simple arcane sigil in the air. The teleportation spell was rudimentary and she'd seen Gray do it hundreds of times with small objects. The larger the object, the shorter the distance of the teleportation, but Erza just needed to get through the wall.

"I'll be as quick as I can," she said as the rune began to glow. "And if she comes back before I do, kill that bitch."

* * *

The closest real crossroads was a twenty-minute drive from Bernice's house, and Erza sped the entire way there. It was dark, nearly pitch black even this close to the city, and chills ran up Erza's arms as she exited the vehicle. Coyotes howled in the distance and she shuddered, trying not to picture the massive hellhounds they'd fought before.

Nothing attacked her as she approached the center of the intersection, so she quickly leaned down and dug a hole in the dirt with her fingers, burying the matchbox. Then she stepped back, pulling out her sword and holding it loosely in her left hand.

Several long, agonizing minutes went by. Erza could swear that the howling was getting closer, and her fingers trembled on Natsu's gun in her holster. Usually she wasn't alone. Usually she had Gray and Natsu to back her up. The wind picked up and cut through her jacket, and it carried the scent of decay with it from the neighboring farms. She glanced over at the empty field next to her, praying that the intermittent lights she saw weren't reflections off demonic eyes.

"Well, looks like it's my lucky day."

Erza's gaze snapped back to the center of the crossroads, which was now occupied by a young woman whose arms were crossed over her chest. Her outfit left little to the imagination and Erza swallowed as her eyes traced the contours of the tight fabric down to the woman's navel.

"Eyes up here, sweetheart." The woman strode towards Erza and grasped her chin in one hand, tipping it from side to side and inspecting her. Her eyes were solid red, so different than the black eyes of the demons they'd dealt with before.

"You're...a crossroads demon," Erza whispered, shivering a little at the sensation of the woman's hand on her face. It was cold, but not the cold of undeath.

"What were you expecting?" The demon took a step back and raked her eyes up and down Erza, sly smile twitching at the corner of her mouth. Erza felt a warm blush creeping up into her cheeks. She wasn't certain what she had been expecting, but this incredibly attractive young woman wasn't it. "You did summon me, correct?" The demon gestured back to the disturbed earth at the center of the crossroads.

"Yes...yes, I need-"

"Ah, ah, ah," the demon said, placing a finger over Erza's lips. "Terms first." She grinned, tipping her head to the side and letting her long, white hair spill over her shoulders. She didn't look much like a demon, Erza thought, except for the eyes. All the other demons she'd faced before had been...harder. Darker. "I'm Mira. If you make a bargain with me, you're agreeing to give up your soul. I might give you time to live, might not. You still want a deal?"

Erza swallowed. Doing this might mean she died in the next few years, but Gray might die tonight. Hunting was a dangerous profession anyways – there was no guarantee that Erza would make it through the next few years even without a demon's contract. This was the closest call they'd had in a while, but the mortality rate for people like her was...high.

"Yes," she said finally, removing Mira's finger from her lips. "I...my friend is dying. Poisoned by...one of your kind." Mira giggled and Erza shivered a bit, unnerved by the sound. "The witch told us you can cure it. The black marks. Can you?"

"Hmmm." Mira gave Erza an unsettling smile, red eyes seeming out of place on her otherwise pretty face. "I could, yes." She held a hand out in front of her and a dark wisp of smoke drifted upwards from it, forming into the shape of a pen. "The question is, how badly do you want him saved?"

Erza blinked, realizing suddenly that Mira was negotiating. Shit, this wasn't her forte. She was better at exorcisms and stabbing things. Talking was...well, that was what Natsu was for.

"He's...there's not a lot of time," she said carefully, uncertain if the words would increase or decrease the number of years she had left to live. "P-please..."

"There's a standard," Mira said, ignoring Erza's words and checking out her immaculately manicured nails. "Ten years. That's what most demons give."

Ten years. Gods. She'd be thirty, still so young. The idea was terrifying, but when she closed her eyes, all she could see was Gray, crying in pain with a hole in his chest.

"I'll do it," she said quickly before she could change her mind.

"Oh, darling." Mira stepped forward again and ran the back of her finger over Erza's cheek, then brushed back some wayward strands of red hair. "I said that was the _standard_. But you...you look _exceptional_." The last word was breathed into Erza's ear and she shivered. She couldn't let a demon affect her like this.

"Then what d-do you want?" she asked, trying to keep her voice firm. She took a step back from Mira, who pouted and looked at her with sad eyes.

"Don't you find me pretty?" The demon asked, voice low and seductive. She reached out again and trailed a hand up Erza's arm, drifting light fingers across her shoulder and up her neck. When Erza didn't answer, she sighed. "Five years. Then you're mine." The sultry tone returned to her voice. "All mine, and I can do whatever I want with you."

"Five years?" Erza swallowed, trying not to be distracted by the fingers brushing across the back of her neck. She had to do this and get back to Gray. His time was running out and she was the only one who could save him. She squeezed her eyes shut, then exhaled sharply. "Fine."

"Ooh, you must love him badly, this 'friend' of yours," Mira said, a vicious grin on her face. "How much would you give? What if I said one year? Would you still say yes? One year left on this earth to save his life?"

"I..."

"Would he do the same for you?" A flash of anger passed over Mira's face and she scowled, face twisting into something definitely demonic. "Humans are garbage. He doesn't deserve your sacrifice."

"That's my decision," Erza growled. "And yes, I'd do whatever it took. He's family. So if you wanna give me just one day, I'll take it. Just hurry up and help me save him."

Mira's face softened, suddenly, and for a brief second the redness receded from her face, leaving a young woman with the bluest eyes Erza had ever seen. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Just as quickly as it came, it passed, and the darkness consumed Mira once again. Erza frowned, uncertain.

"Give me your arm," Mira said, grabbing Erza's wrist and turning it up. She ran the now-solid pen over it and words began to appear, dark letters standing out against her pale skin. "It says that you agree to give me your soul in five years' time, in exchange for me saving your friend's life. Is that correct?" Erza nodded, feeling a slight sting as the words sunk into her arm.

"Is that it?" She asked, glancing back at the car. They needed to go – now.

"One more thing," Mira said, stepping closer to Erza and putting a hand on the back of her neck. "We have to seal the bargain." She gave Erza a surprisingly soft look and leaned in, quickly capturing Erza's lips with her own. Erza made a sound of surprise, but quickly melted into the kiss, instinctively reaching up her hand and touching the side of Mira's face. Her lips were so soft and warm – how could she possibly be a demon? Erza's chest tingled with excitement at the sensation, and made a disappointed sound when Mira pulled back.

"We..."

"Let's go," Mira said, giving Erza a dark smile. "You've got a friend to save."

* * *

"Son of a _bitch."_ Erza slammed on the brakes as she pulled into the cul-de-sac where Bernice lived. Several hulking, vaguely dog-like shapes lurked around the home, red eyes flashing when they turned to see the vehicle. "She has hellhounds?"

"Someone really wants you dead," Mira said mildly, feet kicked up on the dash. "Pissed anyone off lately?"

"We kill monsters for a living," Erza replied shortly, swinging her door open and standing. She unsheathed her sword, wishing she had Gray's runes to empower it. "We piss off a lot of people. These are just her guard dogs, though - she's got demons after her." Turning back to see Mira still sitting in the front seat, she sighed. "You're not gonna help?"

"Hmm, you willing to take a few more years off?" Mira asked, raising her eyebrows. "I don't do anything for free." Erza rolled her eyes, hefting the sword as one of the hellhounds approached. The other two remained next to the house, guarding it against her.

"Fine. Stay here."

She took off running toward the beast, sword raised and teeth bared. It tried to leap at her but she drove the point of the sword into its chest, just above the left leg. It howled – an eerie, hollow sound that made the hairs on her arm stand on end. She swung around, planting her feet in a defensive stance and raising the blade across her body.

"C'mere, you bastard," she growled, stepping forward as the hound launched itself at her again. She swung at its head but it ducked, sweeping around and grabbing her arm in its jaws. Pain lanced through her forearm and she grunted, switching the sword to her left hand and driving it downward. Clearly the hellhound hadn't been expecting the offhand attack, and it attempted to move away a second too late. Erza shoved down with all her strength and the blade pierced directly through the beast's head.

"Impressive," Mira commented as the hellhound's jaws loosened on Erza's arm and it crumpled to the ground, quickly fading away into dust. Erza glanced up to see Mira leaning against the car, arms crossed over her stomach. Looking down at the damage on her arm, Erza winced – it was bleeding, but not badly. She could deal with it later.

"I'm not interested in your praise," Erza growled, moving her sword back to her right hand and swinging it experimentally. The pain was manageable. She glanced over to the hounds and drew Natsu's gun in her left hand, hoping she had enough iron rounds.

"You're injured," Mira replied, keeping step with Erza as she stalked toward the house. The hounds didn't move, just snarled and snapped at her, red eyes never looking away. "Can you take on two more? That arm doesn't look good."

"I'm fine," Erza said, bringing the pistol up and firing at the dog on the right. It yelped and jumped out of the way, the bullet missing and lodging itself into the side of the house. Erza cursed.

"The neighbors are going to hear gunshots," Mira said mildly. Erza grumbled – she was loath to admit it, but Mira was right. She holstered the gun and stood at the end of the driveway, shifting from one foot to the other. Should she attack? Wait? She couldn't wait, she'd already been gone long enough. And she had to get through that fucking witch to get back downstairs; she'd used up the candle's magic on her way out.

"Fuck this," she snarled, charging up the driveway with her sword held out in front of her. The first hound jumped at her, jaws open wide, but she feinted and spun on her heel, thrusting the blade at the back of its neck. The second beast charged toward her as the first one yelped in pain, rounding on her and growling. Now she was backed against the garage, both hounds baring their teeth and advancing.

Erza reached down to her thigh and pulled out a knife, whipping it at the hound on the left. The silver blade hissed and burned where it landed in the beast's throat. She took advantage of the distraction to jump towards the other one and stab her sword forward, driving it into the hellhound's chest.

"What in the hells is going-"

Erza glanced up to see Bernice standing on the front porch, magic crackling around her hands. She scowled at Erza, reaching into her pocket.

"You little bitch. I don't know how you got out of there but you're going right back." She raised her hand to toss whatever it was at Erza but froze partway, blocked by the appearance of Mira in front of her. The demon had moved so fast that Erza hadn't seen her, and Mira was now towering over Bernice.

"Get back," she said to Erza, voice softer than before. When Mira glanced over her shoulder, Erza swore her eyes were blue again. Before she could say anything, Mira whipped around again, snarling at Bernice.

"Witch," Mira hissed, and Erza didn't even have time to move before Mira thrust her hand into the woman's chest with a sickening crunch and wrenched out her heart. Bernice's face had only a moment to look shocked before she collapsed on the ground, blood gushing from the wound. Mira looked at the heart with disinterest before tossing it to one of the hellhounds. "Eat up," she said, gesturing to it. "And piss off. Your master's dead."

The hound on the left snatched up the heart and ate it in two bites, then growled at Mira, who snarled back at it, stalking forward. Both the beasts whined in fear, backing up several steps and then dissipating into black clouds of smoke.

"Amateur," Mira sighed, wiping her bloody hand on her pants. Erza stared at her, blade still gripped tightly in her hand. The demon looked bored already, ignoring the corpse on the front porch. "Shall we?" she asked, gesturing to the front door.

"Y-yeah," Erza stammered, sheathing her weapon and wobbling up to the front steps. She avoided looking at Bernice – it wasn't as if she hadn't seen corpses before, but the last time she'd seen a heart ripped out had been the werewolf case in Langley. Even then, it had turned her stomach.

She stumbled through the door, hoping to god that Bernice's husband was a deep sleeper, and made her way to the basement door. Before she could even try the handle, Mira grabbed the edge of the frame and forced the door open, bending it nearly in half.

"It was warded," she said, shrugging her shoulders and gesturing to the barrier at the bottom of the steps. It dissipated instantly. Erza ran down, turning the corner to see Natsu still sitting next to Gray. He was holding his partner's hand and running fingers through Gray's hair, murmuring something quietly. When he heard her, his head snapped up, hand immediately going to his gun.

"I'm back," Erza said breathlessly, moving to stand by the head of the cot. Gray's skin was pale and his forehead was beaded with sweat, and he was twitching restlessly in unconsciousness, making soft sounds of pain.

"He woke up for a bit," Natsu said quietly. "Passed out again not too long ago." He looked over at the stairs to see Mira standing there, one eyebrow raised as she examined the black marks on Gray's body. "This your demon?"

"Yeah." Erza placed a hand on Natsu's shoulder - she could feel how tense he was, wound tight, ready to snap. "I already made the deal. She has to help him." She held out her arm to show him the little red mark on the inside of her wrist - the only part of the contract that had stayed on her skin. Natsu made a sad sound and covered her hand with his. "It's okay," she murmured.

"How long?" he asked, but she shook her head.

Mira stepped closer to the table, gesturing for the two of them to move out of the way. Natsu refused to let go of Gray's hand, gripping it tightly as he shifted to the side. Mira looked down at Gray, face almost bored, and placed her hand on his forehead.

He cried out immediately, muscles stiffening and back arching up in pain. Natsu's hand went to his pistol, face murderous, but Mira waved her hand toward him, freezing him in place.

"Relax," she murmured, watching impassively as the darkness was drawn out of Gray's skin. He screamed again, head slamming back into the table. "I said I'd help him. I never said it wouldn't hurt." Natsu snarled and tried again to stand, struggling against the demon's powerful magic. **"Sit."** He slammed back into the chair, teeth driving into his lip. Blood trickled down his chin and he groaned.

Gray's body shook and arched up again, fingers tightening around Natsu's hand as he cried in pain. His eyes flew open suddenly, and Erza was horrified to see that they were entirely black. It only lasted a moment, though, as the darkness was wrenched from his body by Mira's hands.

The shouting stopped abruptly and Gray collapsed back onto the table, groaning but clearly conscious. Natsu stood up and grabbed him, pulling him up and putting a hand on the back of his head.

"Hey, look at me, love," he said, ducking to force Gray to look into his eyes. The foul-smelling poultice that the witch had set on Gray's chest fell down, leaving only bare, unblemished skin. Natsu exhaled sharply with relief and pulled Gray tight against him, kissing his head.

"What the hell..." Gray raised a hand to his chest, pulling back blinking at Natsu in confusion, then looking up at Mira. He yelped, backing up against the wall. "What the _hell-"_

"She saved you," Erza said, leaning over and wrapping her arms around Gray. He returned the embrace shakily, face buried in her sweater. Natsu reached out and grabbed her hand as well, gripping it so tightly she was surprised her fingers didn't break. The red mark on her wrist burned – she wasn't looking forward to the fallout from this. But her boys were safe, and that was all that mattered.

"Touching." Erza let go of Gray and turned to Mira, who was staring at her intently. The redness had receded a bit from her eyes, making her look far less deadly than the demon who, only minutes ago, had ripped a woman's still-beating heart from her chest. "He's really worth it?" She nodded her head at Gray, who was still staring at her apprehensively.

"Of course," Erza replied without hesitation. She rubbed her wrist and tried to push away the ball of fear that was forming in her stomach. They could worry about this later. Right now they needed to get to the car and get the hell out of here before the cops showed up and started asking questions about the soccer mom with a hole in her chest.

"Well, my work's done." Mira sighed, looking over to the stairs. "Good luck." She stepped forward, lightning quick, and grabbed Erza's wrist, pulling her in and kissing her again. Erza knew she should recoil from the contact but found that she couldn't, instead leaning into the demon's alluring charm. Gray and Natsu both made awkward noises behind her, but she couldn't be bothered to threaten them.

Mira pulled back from the kiss, placing her hand in the center of Erza's chest and pushing her back. She winked, turning toward the door. "See you in five years," she said.

"I don't think so," Natsu growled. Mira turned to look at him, head tilted to the side, and he grinned and pointed to the ceiling. "You guys are getting lazy."

On the concrete roof of the basement, in messy chalk, was a hastily scrawled pentagram, surrounded by arcane sigils. A Devil's Trap. Erza nearly laughed out loud.

"You _cheater!"_ Mira screamed, trying to move out of the area but finding herself up against an invisible barrier. "You can't keep me here." She snarled and moved toward Natsu, who grabbed Gray's arm and pulled him out of the circle. Erza backed over to the other side. Mira whipped around to look at her, red receding from her eyes. "Please," she begged, and Erza nearly stepped forward to take her hand.

"She's fighting against it," Erza breathed, looking over at Natsu and Gray. "Against the demon. She's...she's done it a few times now." Natsu looked incredulous, glancing over at his partner.

"Is that even possible?" Gray asked, still looking pale and exhausted. Mira whipped her head around to snarl at him, redness flooding back into her eyes.

"All right love, I know you feel like shit, but a little magic would help right now," Natsu said softly to Gray, glaring up at the demon. "Feel up to an exorcism?" Gray nodded, motioning for Erza and Natsu to grab Mira and hold her still.

"I'm sorry," Erza said softly as she stepped into the circle, grabbing one of Mira's arms and pinning it behind her as Natsu took the other. The demon screamed, thrashing to throw them off, but they held firm. At least the trap had taken some of Mira's strength away - they would never have been able to contain her without it.

 _"Exorcizamus te, omnis immindus spiritus,"_ Gray began, holding out his hand and moving it towards Mira. Streams of white magic swirled around his arm and hand – weaker than usual, but still there, enough to empower the exorcism. Mira howled, throwing her head back and grinding her teeth. _"Omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversari."_

"Please," Mira begged again, and Erza could see her eyes flickering between red and blue, face contorted in pain. "Get it OUT!" She shuddered against their grasp and both Erza and Natsu planted their feet, holding on tighter as Gray pressed his palm to her forehead.

 _"Omnis legio,"_ he shouted as Mira thrashed against him. _"Omnis congregatio et secta diabolica!"_

A great roaring filled the room as Mira screamed, a wicked spiral of black smoke streaming from her mouth. It tore out of her, slamming into the ceiling and spiraling back downward. Mira slumped back limply and Erza caught her under the arms, pulling her out of the circle and away from the rest of the exorcism.

Natsu joined in with Gray, and their chanting reached a crescendo as the jars around the room began to shatter, spraying pieces of glass and questionable contents over the floor. Erza shielded Mira with her body, wincing as tiny shards sliced at her face and neck. A resounding _crack_ filled the air, and Erza saw Natsu stumble backward out of the corner of her eye.

"Thank...you." Erza looked down at the woman in her arms. She looked exhausted, but her eyes were clear and her smile was genuine. "Is it...gone?"

"Yes," Erza said, looking back toward the circle. Natsu had moved back over to Gray and had his partner's arm wrapped around his shoulders, and they both smiled wearily at Erza. Charred marks on the floor were the only signs of the demon's departure back to hell. "Yes, it's gone."

She helped Mira to her feet, and the young woman glanced over at Natsu and Gray, frowning and then shaking her head as if to rid herself of a bad dream. "Did I..." She looked down at her hands. "Did I hurt you?"

"Actually, you helped," Erza said, eyes flicking down to her wrist. She knew the red mark would still be there, but her stomach dropped anyway. Exorcisms only sent them back to hell. The demon would find a new host, or Erza would follow it into the inferno.

"We'll figure it out," Natsu said softly, seeing the expression on Erza's face. Gray frowned, then followed Erza's gaze to her wrist. His face dropped.

"You didn't," he whispered, bringing a hand up to where the hole in his chest should have been. "Erza, no, you..." Natsu squeezed him tightly around the waist, keeping him standing.

Erza tilted her head – she could hear the telltale call of sirens in the distance. _Shit_. "We gotta go," she said, gesturing to the stairs. "We'll talk about it later." She turned to Mira, who was staring at her with wide eyes. "Where are you from? Do you remember anything?"

Mira's face darkened and she looked at the floor. "I remember most of it," she replied quietly. Erza frowned – that was unusual. Everything about this situation was bizarre and it was throwing her off. "It's been years." _Shit_. She grabbed Mira's hand and tugged her toward the stairs.

"Come with us for now," she said as they made their way carefully back up. The first floor was silent and Erza sighed in relief. "We'll get you home." They picked their way to the front door, which was still open. Mira stepped out onto the porch and looked over at Bernice's corpse, face drawn in grief.

"I did that," she whispered, pulling her hand away from Erza and crossing her arms over her stomach. "Oh gods, I killed her." Erza hovered behind her, uncertain.

"Let's go," Natsu hissed, helping Gray down the stairs and leading him toward the car. Erza touched Mira's arm, taking her elbow gently and guiding her down the steps. Mira followed without resisting, a blank look on her face.

"It wasn't you," Erza insisted, pulling out the car keys and opening the door for Mira. Natsu and Gray were in the back seat, Gray leaning heavily against his partner. Mira slid into the front seat, looking up at Erza with tired eyes.

"I don't have a home," she said softly. "She killed them. All of them."

"Jesus," Natsu said softly, reaching up to touch the back of the chair. "I'm sorry."

Erza darted around the car and slid into the driver's seat, starting it up and throwing it into drive. The sirens were closer now and she cursed – this was definitely going to be a chase.

"We've got you now," Erza said, reaching over and grabbing Mira's hand. The sensation of the demon kissing her still lingered on her lips, and she wondered if it would be the same with this version of Mira. "Things are about to get fun. You ready?"

Mira gave Erza a soft, genuine smile and squeezed her hand, then nodded at the police cruiser that was approaching the cul-de-sac. "Should we go?"

"Get us the hell out of here," Natsu said as Erza slammed her foot on the gas and jerked the wheel sideways, speeding down the road past the cruiser. She turned onto the next street and the sirens got louder – the cop was following them. A touch on her shoulder was followed by a series of runes flowing down her arms and into the vehicle, kicking it into overdrive. Gray pulled back his hand and collapsed against Natsu, empty.

"Drive like hell," he said, breathing heavily as Erza switched gears and sped around a corner. "And we're never fucking dealing with witches again."


	2. chapter 2 - shoot to thrill

"Do you own any music other than Guns 'n Roses?" Gray kicked his feet up on the dash of the car, flexing his hand and wincing at the cuts on his knuckles. Natsu grinned at him from the driver's seat, turning up the music.

"Yeah, I think I've got some AC/DC." He laughed when Gray rolled his eyes. "Don't gimme that look, you know the rules." He drummed his fingers against the steering wheel in time with the beat. "Driver picks the music—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Gray flipped down the sun visor, examining his face in the dim light over the mirror. Not too much damage – just a cut under his left eye and what would definitely be a bruise on his jaw. He squinted at his reflection, attention always drawn to the strangeness of his eyes. One light gray and one so dark it was nearly black. Yet another thing about his past – like his magic – that he didn't understand.

Gray closed the mirror again and stared out the window at the near pitch-blackness of the fields around them. It seemed like they were the only ones driving down this gravel back road, and it gave him chills.

"Oi." Natsu reached over and ruffled Gray's hair, earning himself a death glare. "Don't be so serious, Rainbow Brite. Pass me the beef jerky?"

Gray scowled at the nickname – Natsu delighted in throwing pop culture references at him that he didn't understand – and looked at the bag in distaste, handing it to Natsu. "When was the last time you ate a vegetable?"

"Does pumpkin pie count?" Natsu asked around a mouthful of jerky. He laughed at Gray as the music changed to a new song – true to his word, it was AC/DC.

Gray sighed in exasperation. "At this point you're more likely to die from scurvy than from a demon kicking your ass," he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest and wincing at a sharp pain in his ribs.

"That's 'cause I don't let demons kick my ass," Natsu replied cheerfully. Gray raised an eyebrow and examined the bruised, bloody mess that was Natsu's lip and eye.

"Your face says otherwise."

 _"Your_ face says..." Natsu trailed off. "...things."

"Nice one." Gray grabbed a water bottle from the bag at his feet and sipped it, sighing and tipping his head back. Everything hurt, but it wasn't anywhere as bad as the demon a few weeks ago.

 _...paralyzed on the ground, hearing Natsu screaming his name as the claw came down on him …the sickening crunch of it piercing through his ribs …hot tang of blood in the back of his mouth ... pain and pain and pain... something in his mind, whispering words he'd long forgotten..._

"Gray?" He blinked, turning his head to see Natsu staring at him with a concerned expression on his face. "You okay? You're..." He gestured to Gray's hands. They were sparking with fire and Gray closed them hastily, extinguishing the flame. He let out a slow breath – that wasn't good. His magic had been wild, lately. Dangerous.

"Yeah." He opened his hands again and summoned little sparks of electricity this time, tiny and controlled. "It's fucking dark out here." He closed his eyes and pushed the magic further up into his forearms, letting out a contented sigh when the vehicle filled with a soft glow. He looked down to see the dark, tattoo-like marks that were usually invisible filled with a gentle white light.

Natsu sighed happily. This magic always felt peaceful and calming, as opposed to the dark marks that took over Gray's arms in battle.

"So," Gray said after a minute, yawning and pushing his hair out of his eyes. "Who the hell lives all the way out here again? And why are we visiting them in the middle of the night?"

"You get one guess," Natsu said sourly, rubbing his aching head. Gray groaned. They'd spent the better portion of the evening beating answers out of various low-life demons, and the last scrap had turned particularly violent. However, Natsu had dragged a name out of one of the minor imps. And of course, it had to be a fucking—

"Vampire." Gray sighed and rubbed his face, yelping in pain as he accidentally brushed one of his many injuries. "I assume we have everything in the trunk?" Natsu hummed.

"It'd be nice if you could make daylight," he grumbled, gesturing to the light that surrounded them. "'cause that would be super helpful." Gray knew he wasn't serious – they'd tried that before and it hadn't worked. But maybe...

Gray frowned, closing his eyes and focusing on an image of the sun. The strength of his magic typically ebbed and flowed for seemingly no reason, but lately it had been turned up, heightened, itching under his skin.

He exhaled, envisioning the warmth of a summer day, the brightness against a blue sky, the light spilling down fro—

"Holy shit!" The car swerved a bit as Natsu swore and Gray opened his eyes to see that the light from his markings had become radiant, too bright. The markings started to spark and shimmer, and sharp sparks of pain ran up his arms.

 _"Prohibere!"_ he shouted and the light went out immediately, leaving a burning sensation running over his skin. "Fuck, shit, that hurts." He groaned, pressing his head back against the seat as Natsu made to pull over on the side of the road. Gray shook his head. "No, go, I'm fine. Stopping here's just asking for trouble." The pain was abating quickly and he exhaled, flexing his hands.

"What the hell was that?" Natsu demanded, swerving back onto the road. "That's never happened before. Are you okay?" Gray nodded, teeth still clenched. "Well, I guess that's helpful, but if it hurts you like that..."

"I don't know... if I could do it again," Gray said shakily, bringing his feet down from the dash and sitting up in the seat. The raw power that he'd felt was terrifying, and had touched at something deep within him that he didn't want to think about.

Shaking his head, he peered out the windshield, seeing a bright light dancing in the darkness ahead of them. Only monsters would live this far out in the middle of nowhere. He sighed, hoping there was cell reception in the likely event that they got their asses kicked.

"Well," said Natsu, turning off the headlights and coasting toward the beacon. "Looks like we're here."

* * *

"This is a terrible idea." Gray crouched behind Natsu, who was peering around the corner of the old farmhouse and holding out an arm to shush his partner. "We're going to get bitten," Gray continued, ignoring him.

"Shut _up,"_ Natsu hissed, squinting in an attempt to see through the darkness. The only source of light nearby was a lantern a few feet away. "I can't fuckin' tell if they're in here or not, but if we light it up they're gonna—"

"Going to _what?"_ A low, seductive voice came from above them and Gray scrambled backward, falling on his ass. A woman stood above them, dark hair piled on top of her head, dressed in torn black jeans and a leather jacket. "You boys need some help?"

"Heeeyyyy," Natsu said brightly, scrambling up against the wall until he was standing with hands awkwardly on his hips. "We, uh, my friend here lost his... necklace. Yep. So we're just lookin' for it."

Gray groaned. Natsu was a moron.

"Blade at your belt says otherwise," the woman said, grinning at Natsu and flashing her obviously sharp teeth. In fact, now that Gray was looking closer, he could see blood stains on her jaw and the side of her neck. _Goddamnit._

"What, this?" Natsu gestured to the _also_ blood-stained machete hanging from his belt and tried to keep up the façade. Gray sighed, pushing himself to his feet and holding his hands by his sides. "This is, for, uh..." He sighed, tugging the blade into his hand and giving her a dark look. "You know exactly what this is for, bitch."

"Natsu, don—"

It was too late. Natsu charged forward, blade held in front of him, and was immediately thrown back into the wall. He groaned but stumbled back to his feet and Gray rolled his eyes, unsympathetic.

 _"Debilitas,"_ he hissed, right arm lighting up with a soft yellow light as he flung his hand forward toward the vampire, palm out. His left hand came down on Natsu's shoulder, glowing red as he whispered, _"potestas."_

"Thaaaat's better," Natsu growled as the magic sparked across his skin, lighting up in runes from a language nobody understood. Very few hunters would work with Gray, wary of the unknown source of his power, but Natsu trusted him with his life. "Thanks, love."

He charged in again, this time much more successful as the vampire shook her head, disoriented and weakened by Gray's spell. Natsu slammed an elbow into her throat, knocking her backward and kicking behind her ankle. As she fell toward the ground he grabbed her by the hair, raising the machete high above his head and bringing it down with a sickening squelch. Gray's runes let him cut right through the bone like it was butter.

"Gross," Natsu muttered, tossing the detached head to the side and wiping the spatters of blood from his face with his sleeve. "She wasn't very strong, maybe we can pin down one of the othe..." He trailed off at the look on Gray's face. "What?"

"I have a plan," Gray said slowly, looking down at the vampire's corpse. "But you're not gonna like it."

Five minutes later Gray was stalking into the barn, blood on his cheek and chin, sharp teeth poking out over his lip, dragging Natsu behind him. Natsu was still gagging internally over the fact that Gray had to consume some of the vampire's blood to complete the transformation, but his partner didn't seem to mind. Sometimes his nonchalance was unnerving.

"Which one of you fuckers is Tallon?"

An unsettling number of eyes turned to glare at them and Natsu swallowed.

"This was a terrible plan," he hissed at Gray, who merely squeezed his arm tighter and threw Natsu to the ground in front of him. "Ow, fuck."

"Shut up," Gray snarled, hitting Natsu on the back of the head. Natsu's hands were bound in front of him – Gray had actually tied them tightly enough to start to cut off circulation, but with the spell he had on him, Natsu would be able to break out of them with barely any effort.

"Jackass," he muttered, earning him a kick to the back. He grunted, sprawling out on the ground on his stomach.

"I _said,"_ Gray growled, baring his bloody teeth. "Which one of you _fuckers_ is Tallon?"

The vampires didn't move for a moment, then a young woman stepped out of the crowd, hands on her hips, and gave Gray an appraising glare.

"That'd be me," she replied, voice smooth and sultry. "Who the fuck are you? And what the hell do you want?"

"Name's Caedmon," Gray lied, hands tucked into his pockets, one foot pressing on Natsu's back. Why had Natsu agreed to this plan? "Heard you know something about a demon."

"I might," she said, then looked down at Natsu. "What's this?"

"A gift," Gray replied, nudging Natsu forward. He snarled and Gray kicked him in the ribs – making it look hard but being as gentle as possible. Natsu grunted, struggling against his bonds. "A hunter. One of the big shots. Enjoy him on me."

"And all you want is a name?" Tallon raised her eyebrow, crossing her arms. "Never seen you around, _Caedmon._ You with a clan?" Gray shook his head.

"Just me. Not big on..." he looked around the room and sneered at the gathering of vamps. He counted at least twelve - _shit_. "...all this."

"And what could a solo vamp like you possibly want with a demon?"

"That's none of your fucking business, now is it?" Gray growled a little and it made Natsu shiver. _Gods_ , his boyfriend could be scary – and it was hot. "Now, you wanna make a deal? Or did I catch myself an extra snack?"

Tallon looked at Gray carefully, raking her eyes up and down him before giving a curt nod to the two vamps on her right. They moved forward quicker than Natsu could see and grabbed him by the arms, dragging him up until his feet were barely touching the ground. He felt a sharp stab of panic shoot through him, but he exhaled slowly. He was fine. Gray would keep him safe.

"Ah, ah," Gray said, grabbing the back of Natsu's jacket. "Name first. I don't trust you."

"Smart move," Tallon said, tipping her head to the side and showing off the white, raised scars from where she'd been turned. "All right. Which demon you want? The angry one that got sent back downstairs a few weeks back, I assume?" Gray nodded. "Name's Edraoth."

A black bolt of pain ran through Gray's mind at the name and he winced, bringing a hand to his temple. His ears were filled with a roaring sound that crescendoed quickly and then died as quickly as it came. He was left stunned, with a sharp pain under his right eye.

"Not that it matters," Tallon continued, gesturing for the two vampires to drag Natsu over to her. He was actually panicking now – what was wrong with Gray? His face was pinched in pain and Natsu could see that his disguise was slowly slipping. And the runes he'd placed on Natsu before had just dissipated.

 _Shit, shit, shit,_ he thought desperately, struggling against the men for real now. One of them squeezed his forearm so hard he felt the bone crack, and he cried out in pain.

It seemed to snap Gray out of his trance and he whipped his head up, snarling at Tallon. She rolled her eyes, gesturing for the pack to step closer to him.

"No real vampire would ever wear that," she growled, gesturing to Gray's necklace – in the perfect shape of a cross. Shit, how could he have forgotten that? He bared his teeth, holding his arms out to his sides and trying to decide the best way to end this. Natsu didn't have his magic anymore, which meant he wouldn't be able to take on two vamps at once.

"Should we kill him, boss?" The larger of the two men holding Natsu let go of his arm and grabbed him by the throat instead, lifting him several inches off the ground. Natsu let out an alarmed gasp, kicking out against the man.

"Do it. His friend can watch, then we'll turn him. He wants to be a vamp so bad, let's make his dreams come true."

"Put him _down!"_ Gray shouted, magic starting to swirl up his arms. The marks were burning, crackling and popping, and he ground his teeth, desperately trying to keep control. "Let him go, or I swear I will kill every last one of you fuckers." Anger flared up, hot and hard, and all he could see was Natsu, struggling against the man's fist, eyes wide and terrified.

"I'd like to see you try," Tallon said, bored. She gestured at the larger vampire and he grinned, squeezing harder on Natsu's neck until he was gasping for air.

 _ **"ARAEUKYS!"**_ Gray shouted, clenching his fists and closing his eyes, focusing on the image of the sun. "Natsu, eyes! _SOLIS!"_

Light burst out from Gray in all directions, blinding and bright and wild, and he screamed at the pain that tore through his arms. It was worse than in the car, and the light was ten times that size, bursting through the vampires and demolishing everything in its path. Natsu tumbled to the floor as the vamp holding him disintegrated into dust, but he kept his eyes shut even as he landed on his face, scraping his cheek the hard floor.

 _"Lux exitium!"_ Gray cried out, voice slightly weaker than before, as he stumbled and fell to his knees. The light flared up one last time, then disappeared, leaving him panting and trembling on the ground. He breathed heavily for a minute, then the sound of Natsu groaning in pain spurred him to action.

He stumbled over to Natsu, dropping to his knees beside his partner and rolling him over. Tugging a dagger from his boot, he cut the ropes binding Natsu's arms and gently held his broken wrist, trying desperately to push healing magic into it. But his magic was gone.

"Natsu, hey, look at me," he said breathlessly, pulling his boyfriend into his lap. "You with me?"

"You..." Natsu gasped, eyes squeezed shut. "You are so... fucking badass." He collapsed backward against Gray, wincing from the pain in his broken wrist. "You just... annihilated... a dozen vamps. God, that's hot."

"You're delirious," Gray replied, looping his arm under Natsu's legs and pushing himself to his feet. "And I needed to keep you safe." He pressed a kiss to Natsu's hair as his boyfriend slumped against him, making a soft noise of pain. "C'mon, we need to get you back to the hotel."

As he stumbled around the piles of dust and out of the barn, he could feel himself shaking, and it wasn't just from the weight of Natsu in his arms. What the hell had just happened?

* * *

"Absolutely not."

Erza sat on the motel bed, arms crossed over her chest, glaring at Mira. The shorter girl was returning the stare with equal intensity, leaning against the wall. She was dressed in Erza's clothes – worn jeans and a faded black t-shirt – and seeing that made Erza's stomach do funny things.

"I wasn't asking for permission," Mira said mildly, picking at the edge of the bandage on her arm. The burn was courtesy of a fire demon they had fought earlier in the day.

Erza was impressed by how quickly Mira had picked up their profession – in the last three weeks she'd gone from frightened vessel to skilled hunter. It didn't hurt that the demon who had been possessing her had used her body to fight and kill – Mira was used to the movements.

"You just got that thing out of you," Erza insisted, standing up and pulling her hair into a ponytail. Her shoulders ached and she groaned, stretching her arms behind her head.

"But we know I can fight it now," Mira argued, moving over to the other bed. "I'm the perfect bait." The bed was covered in Gray's spellbooks, which had been pored through a hundred times. Unfortunately, nothing in the books gave them any clues on how to permanently kill a demon - the only way to end Erza's contract. She rubbed at the red mark on her wrist absently.

Erza's phone vibrated in her back pocket and she pulled it out, sighing in relief at the familiar number. "Hey, Gildarts." She could hear the sounds of the bar in the background, and her chest ached for home.

"Hey little lady!" Gildarts had been calling her that since she was twelve and first joined the world of hunters. "My wayward son wasn't answering his phone so I figured I'd give you a call. Any luck?"

The first thing they'd done after running from the witch's house was to head to the guild, a bar that doubled as their safe haven, where hunters gathered to take jobs and swap stories. Everyone had been horrified to hear about Erza's predicament, and had pledged to do everything they could to help.

"Nothing so far," she said, sighing and sitting down on the bed next to the books. "Natsu's off with Gray, apparently they have some vampires to interrogate." Gildarts was silent for a moment.

"Just the two of them?" he asked cautiously. Erza sighed. Natsu and Gray's relationship had been a point of contention ever since Gray had appeared three years ago with magic brands on his arms, different colored eyes, and no memories. No matter how many times Gray saved Natsu's life, Gildarts was always wary of the mage.

"Yes, and they'll be fine," Erza said firmly. Gildarts grumbled a bit, but didn't argue. "Anyway, they got intel that this vampire might know something about the demon. Problem is, even if we know its name and summon it, we still can't kill it. And that's the only way out of the pact."

She could hear Gildarts closing a door behind him, then flipping through a book. "That's the thing," he said cautiously, "and Gray actually might be able to help." Erza frowned, looking over at Mira, who was completely engrossed in one of the books.

"What does he have to do with anything?" She asked, scooting back on the bed and leaning against the wall. She double-checked the windowsill and doorstep for salt lines, and peered intently at the warding symbol to make sure the runes were right. Last thing they needed was to be jumped by something in their sleep.

"Not sure," Gilarts said. "But Levy found a new book – some library in Boston, god knows how she finds these things. Anyway, it's in some ancient language that her and Freed are attempting to translate, but it'll take time."

"Again," Erza said slowly, "what does this have to do with Gray?"

Gildarts was quiet for a moment, then said, "His markings. They're in the book."

"What?" Erza nearly dropped the phone. They'd spent the last three years trying to figure out Gray's past, attempting to find a clue to his strange magic – a magic that they'd never seen before in humans. He'd passed every test they'd thrown at him to check if he was something supernatural, but Gildarts – and some of the other hunters – were still wary.

"We'd have to see his arms to be a hundred percent sure," Gildarts added hastily. "We're hoping you all can come back here so we can... take a look at it."

Erza shifted uncomfortably. During the first weeks where the rest of the hunters tested Gray's loyalty by subjecting him to various procedures, Natsu had protested vocally. At one point he had even punched his father in the face. Gray had endured everything without complaint, but after he had been deemed 'likely not a threat', Natsu had protectively kept him away from Gildarts and the other hunters.

"Natsu's not gonna like that," she warned. Gildarts sighed.

"It's our only lead on saving you," he insisted. "That kid will do anything to break this pact. Just get back here as soon as you can." He didn't say goodbye before the line went dead and Erza groaned, throwing the phone on the bed.

"Everything okay?" Mira stood in front of her now, holding out a hand that Erza took gratefully, letting the woman pull her to her feet.

"Family," Erza said, rubbing her face. Mira placed a gentle hand on her lower back. "It's about Gray. It's...complicated."

"Is Gray...human?" Mira's question was soft, and Erza sighed. Gray had used his powers several times in front of Mira over the last few weeks, and she had confided to Erza that his dark eye unnerved her.

"We think so?" She turned to look at Mira and suddenly realized how close they were, and how Mira's hand was just at the bottom hem of her t-shirt, nearly touching her bare skin. The last three weeks hadn't given them much time alone, but they had exchanged small touches and occasionally woke pressed together when they shared a bed. Erza had no idea what – if anything – was going on between them, but right now she wanted to find out.

"You... think so?" Mira asked. She was so close. Erza could feel blood rushing to her cheeks, the tips of her ears growing hot as her stomach did somersaults. Did this Mira still want to kiss her? Or was that just the demon? They hadn't spoken about it at—

A banging at the door startled her out of her thoughts and she jumped, hand immediately going to the sword at her hip. It had been enchanted to only appear when she needed it, keeping it away from prying eyes, but now it sprang into existence, solid in her palm.

"Get back," she hissed, putting a protective arm out in front of Mira and gesturing back toward the bathroom. If it were Gray and Natsu, they would know bett-

"Erza, open the damn door, it's us!" That was Gray's voice. "This asshole is heavy and I can't do the spell with one hand." Erza swore – of course Natsu had gotten hurt. She made her way over to the door and peered out the keyhole. Gray was standing there, carrying a very pale Natsu in his arms. _"Amicis,"_ he hissed. _"Ego amicus."_

Erza reached into the bag on the floor and pulled out a flask of holy water, opening the door slowly with her other hand. Gray groaned, hefting Natsu's weight in his arms.

"Finally, you—"

Erza tossed the water in his face and he recoiled, sputtering. She quickly did the same to Natsu and when he had a similar reaction, she nodded. "Get in."

"Warn a guy," Gray grumbled, shaking his head and spitting out the water that had gotten in his mouth. Natsu made a weak attempt to wipe at his own face.

"The point is that it's a surprise." Erza dropped the flask on the ground and helped Gray set Natsu down on the edge of the bed. He blinked up at her and gave her a dazed smile.

"Got a name," he mumbled around a split and swollen lip. He lifted up his arm where he had scrawled the name _Edraoth_ in black marker.

"You also got the shit beat out of you," Gray grumbled, crouching in front of Natsu and turning his partner's clearly broken arm face-up. He glanced up at Erza. "You're gonna have to stitch up his head, I can heal his arm now, but..." Now that Erza really looked at Gray she could see that he was roughed up as well, though not bleeding as badly as Natsu. "It was a mess."

"Of course it was," Erza said mildly, motioning for Mira to grab the first aid kit. The other woman approached cautiously – hesitant around Gray's magic, even when it was used to do good. Gray's markings were glowing a soft pinkish-white now as he closed his eyes and focused on his injured partner.

"Gnnnnhhfffuck that hurts," Natsu groaned, grinding his teeth together and tensing. "Can't you be... ahh... nicer?"

"I'm sorry," Gray whispered as the light sped up around Natsu's arms, slowly closing the worst of the wounds. By the time the magic reached Natsu's chest, Gray was panting with exertion, arms shaking and head tipped forward nearly into Natsu's lap.

"Hey, love, that's enough," Natsu said gently, trying to extricate his arms from Gray's grip. "You're gonna knock yourself out, I'm okay."

Gray sat back on his heels, looking up at Natsu's forehead and frowning. "'s my fault. You're not..." A deep gash ran from Natsu's forehead to the middle of his cheek, covered hastily with a bandage, and his neck was bruised with fingerprints.

"I can heal the regular way," Natsu insisted, tugging on Gray's arms and motioning to the bed next to him. "And it's not your fault. C'mere. Erza has terrible bedside manner, but I'm sure Mira's much kinder." He winked at the white-haired woman, who was still standing a careful distance away from the two.

"So, you beat up some vampires?" Erza asked as she tipped Natsu's chin up, none too gently, and pulled the makeshift bandage from his forehead. He cried out, clenching his teeth, and glared at her.

"Actually, Gray destroyed them," he said as she poured disinfectant over the wound. "Ahhh, fuck, why are you so mean?" She shook her head, dabbing at the blood with a piece of gauze and motioning for Mira to hand her the suture kit.

"Because you're an idiot," she said fondly, glancing over at Gray and raising her eyebrows. He nodded, bringing a hand up to Natsu's temple and flooding it with a soft blue light. Natsu exhaled, relaxing visibly as the pain dissipated.

"I can't do any more," Gray said weakly, leaning back on the bed and sighing. Natsu's hand followed him, resting gently on his hip.

"You did plenty," Natsu replied, barely wincing as Erza began to weave the needle in and out of his skin. "At least we got this." He looked down at the name on his wrist again. Erza tipped his head up so she could finish up the last few stitches, then cut off the thread and examined her handiwork.

Mira peered at the writing on Natsu's wrist, frowning uncertainly. It seemed so familiar, yet so alien at the same time. "Edraoth," she murmured curiously.

A _crack_ resounded through the room as soon as the words passed her lips, and everything went dark.

 _"Fuck."_ Natsu cursed, fingers tightening on Gray's hip. His boyfriend's hand covered his own, reassuring him of his presence. "What the hell is—"

 _ **"Zes zaer."**_

The sound ripped through the room, sharp and jagged and enough to cause them all to shout out in pain. Gray's hand tightened on Natsu's, and he felt Erza gripping his shoulder as well.

"What the hell is going on?" Erza yelled as the sound disappeared.

"It's the demon," Mira whispered, backing up until she was pressed against Gray's legs.

 _"Lux."_ Gray's voice was weak, but almost immediately the outline of his marks flared white, then died down to almost nothing. "Shit. I... can't."

Natsu recoiled as three loud shots rang out from his right side – Erza. Each bullet hit the wall with a crack, but didn't appear to strike any enemies. Natsu's hand drifted down to his thigh holster, but he swore when he realized his pistol was in the car. They'd been in such a hurry to get inside that he'd forgotten it.

 _ **"Esaeu sowa xayaeza suzor."**_ It was a voice, sharp and jagged and piercing into Natsu's mind. He groaned and shook his head, trying to expel the sound.

Gray tried to flare his magic up again but it only lasted a moment – long enough for Natsu to see the dark figure near the door, unmoving but clearly staring at them. Shitfuck. How did it get past the salt lines and the wards? And how was it here without a vessel?

 **"You do not understand me any longer,"** the voice said, switching to a common pattern and losing the sharp edges. **"It has been too long."**

"It's been long enough!" Mira shouted, and Natsu could hear the tremor in her voice. He heard and felt Erza shuffle in front of him so that she was standing between Mira and the demon. "You can't take me over anymore."

She was right. As soon as they'd gotten back to the guild, Gajeel had given Mira her anti-possession tattoo – a mark they all carried to keep themselves from being taken over by demons. Natsu's fingers drifted up to his right shoulder, suddenly terrified that his had been damaged in the fight.

 **"You know yourself no longer."** The voice appeared to be ignoring Mira. Natsu carefully pushed himself to standing, bracing himself against Gray's thigh as he wobbled.

"What the fuck do you want?" He growled, feeling naked without his weapons. "And how the—"

 **"I will be back to remind you."** The voice sounded almost... disappointed. Then it added, **_"Knaes dnirya,_** " and the lights came back on, leaving them all blinking in confusion.

"What just...?" Mira's voice was shaky and Erza wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. "I thought..."

"Gray, shit, are you okay?" Natsu turned to see his boyfriend with his head pressed back onto the bed, eyes screwed shut and teeth clenched in pain. His hands were sparking with flames again, like earlier, but now they were running up his arms and threatening to catch the bed on fire. "Gray!"

Gray groaned, tossing his head back and forth as the flames grew bigger. Natsu yelped and snatched his hand away, hissing. Erza grabbed a pillow and pressed it to Gray's arms, smothering the flame.

"Gray, love, c'mon, look at me." Natsu leaned over Gray, gently touching his cheek and brushing his hair out of his face. Gray exhaled sharply and his eyes flew open – one gray, and one entirely black, even where the white should be. "What the _fuck?"_ Natsu whispered, watching as the black slowly receded until it was Gray's ordinary dark iris again.

"W-what... is it gone?" Gray whispered. Natsu glanced up at Erza, but it seemed she hadn't noticed whatever had happened with Gray's eye. He turned back to his boyfriend and brushed a thumb over his cheek.

"Yeah, it's gone, you okay?" He helped Gray sit up slowly.

"Just... tired... my magic—" Gray looked down at the singed pillow on his lap, then up to Erza, who was frowning at him, concerned. "What..."

"I don't mean to interrupt," Mira said gently, glancing between them and the window, "but that man does not look happy."

Natsu leaned over to see out the window – the motel manager was standing in the parking lot in his slippers, cell phone in hand, gesturing angrily at their room.

"Well, looks like we've outstayed our welcome," Natsu grumbled, helping Gray stand up. "Let's pack it up, quick." His hand rested on Gray's lower back, wanting to ask his boyfriend what was going on, what had happened, but it would have to wait.

"Now's probably not the best time," Erza said as she helped Mira throw the books into their duffel bag, "but your dad called." Natsu groaned. He felt Gray's hand come up to his hair, fingers combing through the pink locks. "They found something, about the demon. He... needs us to come back."

Natsu sighed as Gray quickly placed a bandage over Erza's stitches, then threw the first aid kit into their own duffle bag. They'd done this so many times that it was an easy routine, and within minutes they were out the door and into the car. The boys slipped into the back seat, Natsu cuddling up to Gray and resting his head on his boyfriend's shoulder. Gray wrapped his arm around Natsu, pressing a kiss to his hair.

"Where are we going?" Mira asked, looking back at the boys as Erza pulled out of the parking lot and onto the dark highway. Natsu sighed, trying not to think about what would happen when they reached the guild. He didn't want to see his dad – especially not before figuring out what the hell was going on with Gray and his magic. But if they had the key to killing the demon...

"Home," he said, rubbing his eyes and pressing himself closer to Gray. "We're going home."


	3. chapter 3 - welcome to the jungle

_There was nothing ._

 _And then there wasn't._

He was in a field. It was dark, but not black like before – a moon hung high in the sky, casting bright light over the bare grass. He was cold, which was strange because as far as he knew, he had never been cold before.

Where had he come from?

There had been heat, and darkness, and he had been running from something that scared him so much that his throat closed up and his heart nearly pounded out of his chest. But it was gone now, and the fear had disappeared, and—

"-.-.-!"

There was a boy. He was shouting something, but the words were unfamiliar, in a language he didn't recognize. The shouting was followed by a loud, explosive sound, then an eerie howl that echoed through the field. His eyes were adjusting to the moonlight now and he could see the boy, and a girl, and a group of something large and snarling chasing them.

He looked down at his hands. There were markings on his arms, outlined faintly in red, and he knew that they were powerful. Bright. Magic. Where did they come from?

"-.-.-.-!"

The boy shouted again, this time in pain, and stumbled, falling to the ground. The figures were closing in on the pair, bearing down on them, moving in for the kill. It didn't seem right.

He stepped toward them, uncertain, then made eye contact with the boy for just a moment – the boy with pink hair whose eyes were wide and scared and confused. That was all it took for everything in his body to scream _protect, protect, protect_.

In an instant he was between them and the monsters – arms spread to protect the two, red light flaring up in the patterns on his skin.

 ** _"KAE!"_ ** His markings turned black and his magic sped toward the creatures, who had no time to react. When it hit them, they dissipated instantly, forming piles of dust on the ground. He waited a moment to see if they would reform, then dropped his magic, turning to the two behind him.

* * *

This guy was naked.

Natsu knew, logically, that there were more important things to be focusing on – say, the pack of werewolves that were after them – but all he could see was the completely nude, incredibly attractive guy in front of him, and how his ass just happened to be at Natsu's eye level.

 _Where the hell did he come from?_ Natsu wondered, and then the question was banished from his mind when the boy's arms lit up and disintegrated the pack of werewolves with what appeared to be zero effort. _What the fuck?_

The boy turned around and reached out a hand to him, and Natsu swallowed, trying desperately to keep his eyes above waist height. He glanced at Erza, who looked similarly stunned.

"Uh, thanks," Natsu said eventually, letting go of the boy's hand and touching his neck. The bite there ached, but it hadn't been enough to turn him. That had been a close call. If this guy hadn't shown up…

 _ **"Ona** **esaeu** **sunq** **?"**_ The boy asked. The words were sharp and rough and hurt Natsu's ears, and he winced.

"Do you, uh, speak English?" Erza gave Natsu an exasperated look and he shrugged his shoulders, giving her a look that said, _it's a valid question, what the hell else am I supposed to say?_ He turned back to the boy, who was frowning and hadn't answered. "Do you have some, y'know, clothes?"

"Clauth." The word didn't sound quite right, but the boy's voice had lost its rough edges, and he looked more curious than threatening now. He appeared to be about the same age as them, with long, dark hair that hid most of his face. The marks that had lit up during the short-lived battle seemed to have faded into his skin, leaving nothing but thin white lines in their place.

"Yeah, clothes." Natsu gestured to his own torn jacket and pants. The boy tilted his head curiously, looking back and forth between Natsu and Erza, then down at himself.

"Clauth," he said again, then brought a hand up to his chest. The marks lit up again – deep blue this time – and a set of clothing identical to Natsu's appeared on his body. _"Xaqqab?"_

"Holy shit," Natsu said incredulously. Magic like that... they'd only seen it on monsters before. Or witches, and he doubted this guy was a witch. He stepped forward, ignoring Erza's protest, and peered at the boy. "Thanks for saving our asses. What's your name?"

The boy frowned, then gestured to Natsu, pointing to his lips. _"Okoir. Zoes okoir."_ When Natsu shook his head the boy growled, frustrated. He gestured at his mouth again, then touched his throat. _"Zdoat."_ Then he pointed at Natsu.

"I think he wants you to say it again," Erza said cautiously. Natsu looked back to see her with her phone out, recording the boy's voice and sending it through a database. "The language isn't coming up as anything we have on record."

Natsu sighed, stepping closer again. "Name," he said, slowly. He pointed to himself. "Natsu." Then he reached out and tapped the boy's chest. "What's your name?"

"Nam," the boy said again, frowning. "No." He shook his head.

"You don't have a name?" Natsu looked at Erza again helplessly, but she only shrugged. He sighed. "Uh, okay. This is Erza." He tapped her on the shoulder, then pointed to himself again. "Natsu."

"Ez. Nas." The boy looked uncertain, brushing his hair away from his face. Natsu blinked – his eyes were two different colors. One gray, one so dark it was almost black. The boy pointed at himself again and shook his head. "Nam. No."

"Let's call you Gray for now, then," Natsu said, gesturing to the boy's left eye. "Okay?"

"Gray." The boy nodded agreeably, letting his hair fall back in his face. "Gray. _Kaeaeg."_

"Whatever you say, dude," Natsu said, gesturing toward the edge of the field where they had parked the car. "C'mon, let's get you back to the guild and figure out where the hell you came from."

* * *

Everything felt unfamiliar at first. As they approached the vehicle, Gray – a name, he had a name now – felt a sense of trepidation. But by the time they were buckled in and he was sitting in the back seat across from the boy, Natsu, he felt like he'd been in many vehicles before. It was too dark in the car and he pushed a little magic into his marks without thinking, illuminating the space with a soft white light.

"How -.-.-?" Gray tipped his head, picking up one of the words from Natsu.

 _"Zokiy,"_ he replied immediately, then remembered that these people didn't speak his language - whatever language that was, anyway. He frowned, focusing on the light. What was it called here?

"Magic?" Natsu asked. Gray nodded.

"Mag-ek." The words sounded different in his mouth.

".-.- yeah, -.-.-.- know -.- magic." He could understand more words now, and the terms for things around him were appearing rapidly in his mind. It was like he was absorbing the world, pulling knowledge and information into himself and processing it quicker than thought. "Humans .-.-. -.- of magic."

 _"Zhael,"_ Gray said, waving his hand. He frowned at Natsu. _"Ychon._ Ah...slow." He pointed to his throat again.

"Sorry." Natsu gave him a strange smile and Gray felt warm, suddenly. He'd forgotten he was cold. "I talk fast. This magic..." he gestured to the light around them. "How can you do it?"

Gray ran a hand over one of his arms, tracing the outlines of the marks. _"Zokiy._ Mag-ek." Natsu reached out a hand slowly, looking at Gray with raised eyebrows. Gray nodded, holding his arm out for Natsu to inspect. He flinched a little at Natsu's curious fingers, but didn't pull away.

Gray frowned at Natsu, suddenly noticing the deep wound on the side of his neck. The monsters had done that. Without thinking he raised his hand to the injury, pushing bluish-white magic through it and into Natsu's skin. Natsu yelped, jumping back and hitting his head on the window.

"Ow, fuck," he grumbled, rubbing his head. "What did you—" He brought his hand to the wound and blinked, feeling smooth skin instead of the bite.

"Sunq," Gray said simply, bringing his hand back into his lap. "Hurt. _Kaeaeg?"_ Natsu stared at him, wide-eyed.

"Erza, this is incredible." The red-headed girl glanced in the rearview mirror, then turned her attention back to the road. "He's got crazy magic, we've never seen anything like this before."

 _"S'abbia iz yiz?"_ Gray asked, suddenly. "No. Ah, where?"

"Middle of nowhere," Natsu replied, glancing out the window at the dark fields on either side of the car. Being in a strange place wasn't as frightening as Gray supposed it should be, but he needed to figure out who he was and how he'd gotten here.

"Where... go?" He asked, looking up at Erza in the front seat.

"Home," she replied. "To figure out where the hell you came from."

* * *

Nobody could figure out where Gray came from, and Natsu was getting angry.

As soon as they'd returned to the guild, Gildarts had taken Gray to the vault to "question" him. For some reason that had worried Natsu, and he'd insisted on coming along, even if he was only allowed to sit outside and watch.

He'd been down to the vault many times – fetching books from the library, stocking up on hunting supplies, and the occasional demon interrogation. But this was the first time he'd seen someone that he knew was innocent being questioned like this.

"Where did you come from?" Gildarts had asked this question a hundred times over the past two weeks, but Gray didn't seem to get flustered. He just looked up at Natsu's father with a detached expression and gave his usual answer.

"Don't know."

"How can you not know where you came from?" Natsu could see that Gildarts was getting frustrated – it was the same expression he wore when Natsu was being a smartass.

"Was running." Gray had told this story over and over, under iron chains and being cut by silver knives, with holy water running down his face or sigils drawn over his arms. Natsu had to be held back when he saw them drawing blades down Gray's arms, but the boy hadn't even flinched. "Was dark, then not. Saw them." Gray glanced over to the area where Natsu was sitting.

"Why did you protect them?" Gildarts was leaning on the desk now, face hard and menacing, and Gajeel stood in the other corner of the room with a crossbow and a flask of holy water.

"Was right." Gray shrugged. He was so impassive, and Natsu knew that it put everyone else on edge. It didn't faze him, though. Gray was... likeable. He'd been speaking English more and more, and had tried to teach Natsu a few phrases in the language that he couldn't remember the name of. Whenever Gray wasn't being questioned, they spent time together in his room – more like a cell, but Gray didn't complain.

"What do you mean, right?"

"Protect," Gray replied, glancing over at Natsu again. "Must protect."

Gildarts sighed, standing up and backing away from the table. He crossed his arms over his chest and scowled at Gray. The answers didn't change, no matter how many times he asked them.

"Dad, let up already," Natsu growled, glaring at his father. "It's been two weeks. He's not a monster, and he's not gonna murder us in our sleep."

"I didn't ask for your opini-"

"I'll take responsibility for him." Gildarts paused, giving Natsu a hard look. Natsu glared right back, balling his hands into fists. "If it means you stop poking and prodding at him, and fucking _cutting_ him, then I'll take responsibility for him. We will. Erza and I'll take him with us."

"That ain't unreasonable," Gajeel chimed in from his position against the wall. "And the kid's right. He might be a weird human, but it seems like he is one."

"How can he be human?" Gildarts growled, sighing in exasperation. "He speaks a language nobody knows, he has magic powers no human has ever had, and he's got an eye that looks like a demon's?" Gray did flinch a little at that, but nobody except Natsu saw it. "I'm not trying to be the villain, but you've brought someone into our home who might be a threat."

"He saved my life, dad." Natsu stood up and stormed over to the table, reaching out and grabbing Gray's hand. "He's not going to hurt anyone. And I'm sure he's sick of us talking about him like he isn't even here." He tugged on Gray's arm, encouraging him to stand.

"I run this place, kid," Gildarts said, moving to block their path. "I'll say who's safe and who isn't."

"Get. Out. Of. My. Way." Each word was soft, but packed venom behind it. "You can't keep him prisoner here. You have no right."

"Natsu, I—"

"He's put up with every goddamn test you've thrown at him without complaining – you really think a monster would do that?" Even though Natsu was much shorter than his father, his anger made him seem equal in height. "He's not a werewolf, a vampire, a witch, a wendigo, a skinwalker, or any other fucking nightmare you've tested him for."

"Watch your tongue—"

"Or what?" Natsu glared, keeping himself between Gildarts and Gray. "We're leaving, and if you don't want us to come back we won't." He could feel Gray's fingers tightening between his and he squeezed back.

"I can't let you leave here," Gildarts said, reaching out a hand to stop his son. Natsu ducked under it, and before Gildarts could react Natsu had punched him square in the face, knocking him backward with the force of the blow.

"I wasn't _asking,"_ he growled, grabbing Gray's arm again and dragging him toward the door. Gildarts stood there, stunned, blood pouring from his nose, as the boys pushed past the rest of the hunters and stormed out of the guild.

* * *

"Why?" Gray sat in the back seat of the car, knees pulled up to his chest, staring curiously at Natsu. The other boy sighed, rubbing his face and wincing at the sting of his knuckles. "Here." Gray took Natsu's hand and ran his fingers over the abrasions. Natsu watched in fascination as the wounds closed themselves, disappearing into nothing but fine white scars.

"That's so cool," Natsu said, leaning against the window. He yawned, glancing out at where Erza was refueling and running inside the gas station for food. After Natsu had stormed out of the guild, Gray trailing behind, he'd found Erza in the front lot with the car ready to go and a smile on her face.

"You father is…" Gray frowned. _"Ordhnes."_ He mimed a frown.

"Angry," Natsu said. "He's always angry." He sighed, rubbing his face. "We don't get along anyway. It's not your fault." He reached out and took Gray's arm, running his fingers over the thin scars where they'd cut him with silver knives. "I'm so sorry."

"Not you," Gray said, frowning. "Why sorry?" Natsu laughed.

"It's just an expression."

"Ex-preh-shun." Gray sounded out the word. "Means what?" Natsu's fingers were still on his arm and he leaned into it a little.

"Just… something people say. It's hard to explain." Natsu traced the pattern of Gray's marks, barely visible in the dim light of early evening, and Gray sighed. It felt nice.

He wasn't sure why, but he liked it when Natsu touched him. At first he'd thought he enjoyed all touch, but then the other hunters' hands had grabbed and twisted and used blades on his skin.

"We're not going back there," Natsu said softly. "I don't care where you came from, I'm not gonna let him hurt you again." Gray startled as Natsu brought his arm up and pressed his lips to the scars. Something unfamiliar and exhilarating rushed to Gray's stomach and he let out a soft gasp.

"Not hurt you," he said softly as Natsu brought their palms together and entwined their fingers. He never saw Natsu do this with Erza. What did it mean? Was it something only boys did? Gray liked it, liked being close to Natsu, but he was afraid to ask. He didn't want it to to stop. _"Dnaeqayq_. Protect."

"I know," Natsu said, yawning and shuffling closer to Gray. Erza opened the front door and slipped into the driver's seat, tossing a couple bottles of water and a bag of chips into the back seat. "I trust you. So does Erza, right?"

"Of course," Erza said, looking at them in the rear-view mirror. "You've proven yourself. We're a family, we take care of each other." She turned the car on and waited a minute, smacking the dashboard when the tape deck didn't immediately start playing. "Piece of shit," she grumbled.

"Family?" Gray asked, looking at Erza. "We are not?" He turned to Natsu. "Gildarts is father. That is family?" Natsu smiled, squeezing his hand.

"Family's one of those words that means a lot of things," he said as Erza pulled out of the gas station and onto the highway. The sun was setting now, spreading ribbons of color through the car and highlighting the pink of Natsu's hair. Gray was entranced by it, and he reached out and ran his fingers through it gently.

"What is word for…ah, _xaouqimuh?"_ Natsu frowned at the question and Gray noticed that his cheeks were turning the color of his hair. What did _that_ mean? "Word for… is nice? To look?" He sighed, trying to figure out how to get his point across. "Hm. Sky is _blue_. Gray is _tired_. Sun falling is…?"

"Uh…" Natsu looked out the window at the sunset. "Pretty?" Gray contemplated the word.

"People are also pretty?" Natsu nodded and Gray brightened. "Good. Right word. You are pretty."

A snort came from the front seat and the car swerved a little. Gray frowned at Erza, who was now trying to hide her laughter behind her coffee mug. Natsu's entire face was pink now and he squeezed Gray's hand, not saying anything.

"I said it wrong?" Gray asked, confused. Erza shook her head.

"Nope, you said it just right," she said, taking a long sip of her coffee before laughing again. "Natsu is very pretty." Gray huffed – he could tell he missed something important, but nobody was angry, so he decided to let it go. Then he turned back to Erza, remembering something.

"What is 'piece of shit'?"

* * *

"What the hell is a dead body doing in a playground?" Natsu crouched down next to the merry-go-round and peered at the corpse, which appeared to be unharmed other than being very, very pale. "Looks like a vamp got to it, but there's no bite marks." He carefully lifted the man's hair up and peered at his neck.

"There's nothing out of place," Erza said, glancing around with her flashlight. "It might be easier if we came back during the day, but we'd certainly look suspicious here." Natsu snorted, standing up and scratching the back of his neck. They always looked out of place working cases, but this one in particular would be stranger than most.

"That?" Gray pointed to the spot next to the merry-go-round that didn't appear to be particularly special. Natsu frowned and Gray knelt down, running his fingers through the sand. "You see?" Gray gestured away from him toward the treeline on the other side of the park.

"See what?" Natsu squinted harder but it still just looked like dark, wet sand. "I don't see anything." Gray frowned at him. "What is it?"

"Uh... like this." Gray pointed at the sidewalk. "Through, to... there." He turned and gestured to the trees. "Feels, hmm, not good."

"What do you mean, feels?" Erza asked, looking puzzled. Gray shrugged helplessly, moving his hands as if searching for words.

"Feels, ah... is cold? _Zyona, saounq buzd_ , heart is..." He used his fingers to imitate his heart beating quickly.

"Scared?" Natsu asked. Over the last couple weeks on the road, he'd found it easier and easier to understand what Gray was trying to communicate, even if it was with gestures or bits of whatever language he spoke before. "Something's scaring you?"

Gray tipped his head back and forth hesitantly. "A thing. Dark." He pointed at the body and tapped the middle of his chest. "Man, is gone, the... what was he?" He sighed. "Inside. To make you, different than them."

"Soul." Erza picked up on that and nodded, tapping her own chest. "It took his soul? And his blood apparently, unless we're looking at two different monsters working together." Gray shook his head.

"One color," he insisted, gesturing back to the invisible path. "Just red."

Erza sighed, looking over at Natsu and tapping her fingers near where her sword usually materialized. "Should we go after it?" she asked, looking between Natsu and Gray. "It's dark, but..." she looked at Gray. "Can you tell how long ago it was here?"

Gray frowned, crouching down again and holding a hand out. _"Scio."_ There was a soft orange glow, then he nodded. "Sunset. Soon before."

"Well," said Natsu, drawing one of his pistols and looking around to make sure nobody was following them. "Lead the way, Aragorn." He grinned when Gray sighed at the nickname.

The dim light from Gray's markings illuminated their path – Natsu had been amazed when he'd found out that Gray could control the brightness and rhythm of the magic. He stayed close behind, letting Gray lead the way, watching him tip his head curiously when the path changed.

"Of course we're going into the creepy forest," Natsu grumbled, shivering. Spiderwebs brushed his arms and face and he swatted at them as they made their way through the thick trees. "Why can't monsters ever hang out in somewhere warm and bright?"

"There were those suburban witches in Sunnybrook," Erza replied. "That was mid-day at a PTA meeting and you hated them too."

"That's because witches are gross and creepy," Natsu grumbled, keeping pace behind Gray. The other boy's arm suddenly came out to stop him. "What's up?"

"Listen." Gray murmured, flaring up the light a little. Natsu's eyes widened – it was a child crying. The voice was soft, but clearly somewhere nearby.

"It got a kid," he whispered, moving to push Gray out of the way, but the other boy shook his head, keeping Natsu behind him.

"No child," he said, peering in the direction of the noises. "Monster." The markings on his arms slowly changed red and he crouched, hands out in what Natsu had come to recognize as his combat stance.

"Help me!" the voice cried out and Natsu growled, grabbing Gray's arm.

"Gray, that's a kid, a little girl, we have to help her." His eyes flicked through the darkness of the forest – it was impossible to see anything, but he was fairly certain it had come from their right.

"Keep shouting!" he called out, then grunted as Gray roughly shoved him backward. "What the hell, Gray? We can't just leave—"

"Not a child," Gray hissed. His dark eye looked haunting in the reddish light. _"Qniyt_. Not real, to... to hurt." Natsu dropped his arms a bit, frowning.

"You mean it's an illusion?" Erza asked, moving up until she was next to Gray. "Something that's not really there, to draw us into a trap?" Gray tipped his head to the side, then shook it, sighing in frustration.

"Help, please!" The voice came from near them again and Natsu tensed, everything in his body telling him to run towards it. They protected people who needed it; it was what he'd been doing his entire life. And how could Gray possibly know it wasn't real? It certainly sounded real.

"Gray, we have to— look, maybe it's not real, but it might be and we can't take that chance." Natsu's nails dug into his palms and he searched Gray's face for a sign that he understood, that he knew that Natsu trusted him but still had to check.

Gray sighed, brows furrowed. "Careful," he said to both of them, and Erza summoned her sword. Natsu nodded, drawing both pistols and moving forward toward the source of the sound.

They didn't have to go far. Broken branches led the way, giving the impression of something fast and large, and Gray pointed out patches of blood that neither of them could see. Fear was creeping up Nastu's spine, and he kept his hands tight on his weapons. What the hell was going on?

"Over here, help!" Oh, _shit_. It was a little girl, no more than six or seven, and she was curled up next to a tree at the other side of a clearing below them. The drop was about five feet down to an area filled with tangled grass and weeds, and Natsu could see that the girl's face and clothes were covered in mud.

"It's okay, sweetheart," Natsu said softly, moving to jump down into the clearing, but Gray gripped his shoulder. He was staring at the girl intently and the marks on his arms were sparking red and silver.

"Don't," Gray warned, voice low and dangerous. "Is a trap." His fingers tightened and he pleaded, "please, I am... truth. Protect." His eyes flicked over to Erza too, who was staring back at him.

Natsu looked desperately across the clearing, seeing nothing more than a little girl who needed his help. But then he looked back at Gray, who was looking at him with a mix of hope and resolution, and his shoulders relaxed a bit.

"We trust you," he said, reaching out and touching the back of Gray's hand. Erza nodded and moved closer to the two of them, glancing back at the child. "What do we do?"

"Close eyes," Gray replied, summoning a ball of darkness in his left hand.

Before Natsu could say anything, the magic spiraled out of his fingertips and flew across the clearing, striking the girl directly in the chest.

Natsu made a strangled sound – even though he trusted Gray, he understood now why he should have closed his eyes. The girl screamed, but her teeth were sharp and her eyes were black, and her skin was peeling away as an enormous being tore through the disguise and howled at them.

Natsu and Erza clapped their hands over their ears as an unholy sound came from somewhere within the monster, and a strong wind began to pick up in the clearing. The creature was enormous now, a ten-foot-tall roiling mass of darkness and sharp edges. It seemed to have a mouth somewhere in the mess because it kept shouting, the words trying to pierce through the fingers Natsu had pressed against his head. How the hell were they gonna fight this thing?

It roared again and then it moved, faster than Natsu would have thought possible, sharp teeth flying toward his face and he didn't have time to shoot and holy shit he was going to die—

 _ **"EXILIUM!"**_ There was a brilliant _crack_ that nearly blinded Natsu, and then Gray's voice like thunder, tearing through the air as he threw himself between them and the beast. Natsu staggered backwards into Erza, mesmerized by the patterns of lightning that crackled up and down Gray's arms. It sparked and fizzled as he stood his ground, hands in front of him, pushing up a pulsating, radiant barrier.

"Gray, get back!" Natsu shouted as part of the mass whipped around the glowing light and caught Gray on his bicep. Blood started seeping through his shirt but Gray didn't even flinch, just snarled and brought his hands together, pulling the light into a ball that fit in between his palms.

"Holy shit," Erza breathed, grabbing Natsu's arm and yanking him backwards. "That's a fucking demon."

Natsu couldn't take his eyes off the creature. Erza was right, it was _definitely_ a demon, and he had no idea how they were going to kill it. They'd heard of demons before, obviously – one hunter, a famous recluse named Silver, claimed to have killed one once – but nobody else had ever lived to tell about it.

 _ **"** **D** **naeqayq** **!"**_ Gray shouted again, and Natsu knew that word now, knew the look on Gray's face when he said it. _Protect_.

"We have to help him," he growled, trying to pull away from Erza. "He's gonna kill himself trying to protect us!" She tightened her grip on his arm, shaking her head.

"What could we possibly do?" she hissed, ducking behind a tree. "Look at that thing!" The creature seemed like it was getting larger, if it was possible. Looking at it made Natsu's eyes hurt – it was a writhing mass of darkness, then flashes of rows upon rows of teeth like razor blades. It seemed to notice Natsu's gaze and it whipped up toward him faster than Natsu could think, eyes like bloody gouges as it screamed at them with dissonant words.

"No!" The light from Gray's hands exploded outward, detonating into tiny stars that sliced through the beast and spread across it. It howled, turning on Gray and rushing to collide with him. The bits of light burned its darkness away, chipping away at its mass until nothing was left but a thin, gangly, vaguely humanoid-looking being that had its hands around Gray's neck.

"Gray!" Natsu sprang up from behind the tree, gun drawn and trained on the demon. Gray looked at him over its shoulder, giving one of his rare half-smiles.

 _"Destruam,"_ he whispered, squeezing the demon's wrists and snarling at it as his arms pulsed with one more wave of magic. This time it was black, darker even than the monster's shadowy form had been, and for a second Natsu thought that Gray's darker eye changed to match it. He watched, mouth hanging open, as Gray's magic dissolved the creature, turning it to ash wherever the dark tendrils touched.

Seconds later, Gray had fallen to his knees and was coughing up blood, and the monster was gone.

"Holy shit," Natus whispered, shoving his gun back in its holster and running over to kneel down next to Gray. "Hey, look at me. Shit, are you okay?" Blood ran down Gray's face from his nose and the corner of his mouth, as well as a shallow cut above his eyebrow. He was struggling to breathe and Natsu rubbed his back carefully.

"What the hell was that?!" Erza shouted, bringing a hand to her mouth. She poked at the pile of dust with her toe, shaking her head in disbelief before stalking back to the edge of the clearing. "What in the actual fuck just happened? The kid— and it wasn't, it was a fucking _demon_ , holy shit we just faced down a godsdamned _demon_ and lived." She ran her hands through her hair, taking a few deep breaths.

"We need to get him back to the car," Natsu said, happy to hear Gray's breathing even out. "We can figure out everything else later." Gray shook his head, sitting up a little and bringing a hand to his head.

"Was demon," he said, voice hoarse. "I see. Don't understand... how to know. Had, ah, color." He coughed a few times, wiping the blood from his face. "You... safe?" He looked up at Erza in concern, then back to Natsu. "Angry?" he asked. "You are angry?"

"Gods, no," Natsu replied, grabbing Gray and hugging him tightly. He looked up at Erza over Gray's shoulder as he grasped his sweater. "I was just scared. I thought you were gonna get hurt." He pulled back and his hand was sticky with blood. "Shit, you did get hurt." He placed a hand near the cut on Gray's bicep.

"C'mon," Erza said, leaning down and helping Gray to his feet. She also pulled him into a hug, placing a hand on the back of his head as he relaxed into the embrace. "You did good." When she pulled back, she looked at the two of them seriously. "We need to go, I'm sure that didn't go unnoticed, even out here."

Natsu nodded, wrapping an arm around Gray's waist as they headed back the way they came.

"Let's get back to the hotel," Natsu said quietly. "And then figure out what the hell just happened."

* * *

They couldn't figure it out. Gray's wound had healed normally, no supernatural infection from the demon's claws, and his magic returned to a normal level. Over the next few weeks, Natsu and Erza had researched as much as they could about demons without contacting the guild. Natsu was adamant that his father not find out about the incident, and Erza had agreed. When they came up with only dead ends, they did the thing they knew best – taking another case.

Right now they were holed up in a grungy motel room in a town called Elmhurst, watching a movie on Natsu's laptop because he insisted that Gray "couldn't continue to exist without watching Star Wars". Gray didn't know that that meant. He stared at laptop, brow furrowed, burrowing into Natsu. He was often cold, and the other boy never seemed to mind keeping him warm. Right now, Natsu had an arm around his waist and his head on Gray's shoulder.

 _"I love you,"_ Princess Leia said on screen. Gray frowned, carefully dissecting her expression. What was she feeling? Fondness? Devotion? He sighed – emotions were so difficult to understand. Even though the guild had cleared Gray as 'human', he often felt as _other_ as Gildarts thought he was.

 _"I know,"_ Han Solo replied. He knew? Knew what? That she loved him? They had kissed, earlier in the film, which had led Gray to ask Natsu what that particular gesture meant. Natsu had turned bright red – which Gray knew was a feature of embarrassment – and mumbled something about being in love. But what did that _mean?_ Was love just kissing? How did you love someone?

He glanced over at Natsu, who had fallen asleep on his shoulder, mouth slightly open, snoring softly. Gray smiled, reaching over and brushing Natsu's hair from his face. Natsu was also confusing. Other people were simpler – Erza was someone to trust and care for. Monsters were to be killed. Other hunters were wary of him, and he of them. But Natsu...

There was something else. Something in Gray's chest, in his fingertips, in his stomach that he didn't understand. There was _protect_ , of course – the first thing he'd felt when he'd seen Natsu, but that applied to Erza as well. He didn't want to touch Erza, though; didn't need to be near her like this. He didn't get strange feelings in his chest when he looked at her, didn't want to pull her close against him at night.

He looked back at the screen, running his thumb up and down Natsu's arm. What did it mean?

"I can hear you thinking." Natsu yawned, turning and burying his face in Gray's shoulder. "Sorry, I was more tired than I thought. What'd I miss?"

"I love you," Gray said, gesturing to the screen. Natsu choked on something, leaning forward with wide eyes until he focused on the film and let out a sigh.

"Oh," he said softly. "Oh, yeah, okay. Good scene."

"What does it mean?" Gray asked, perplexed by Natsu's reaction. "I don't understand." This was a common phrase for him. His English was improving, but there were still things that puzzled him – strange ways of speaking and unfamiliar words that Erza and Natsu tossed back and forth. Sometimes he just didn't _fit_.

"What does what mean?" Natsu rubbed his face, shifting the laptop onto the bed and closing it. He turned to look at Gray.

"I love you," Gray repeated. Natsu's face turned pink again, but he didn't react quite as violently. He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"It's... complicated," he said eventually.

"You say that often," Gray remarked. Natsu laughed.

"Yeah, I know," he said. "I've never had to explain emotions before. We just... you just feel them. Here." He tapped his chest and Gray frowned, reaching out and covering Natsu's hand with his own. Natsu startled a little, then twined his fingers with Gray's.

"I feel things," Gray said softly. "Sad. Angry. Happy." He listed off the words Natsu had taught him to describe the sensations he'd felt. "More, but... no words."

"Like what?" Natsu asked, shuffling closer until they were facing each other, knees pressing together.

"Here," Gray said, tapping over his heart. "And here." Hand on his stomach. "Feelings like... happy. But different." He glanced up at Natsu, who was gazing at him with a strange expression on his face. "Things when..." he hesitated. He'd been chastised before by both Erza and Natsu for making 'inappropriate comments', and he wasn't sure if this fell into that category. "When I see you."

"Oh." Natsu was even pinker now, if that was possible. They were still holding hands and it felt so right. "I, uh... the same."

"Yes?" Gray tipped his head and Natsu laughed, covering his face. "Is that love?"

"Well, it's..." Natsu rubbed his thumb over Gray's knuckles and he sighed. It felt nice. Safe. "Love's kinda... it takes a long time, usually? Usually you like someone first."

"Do people who 'like' kiss?" Gray asked. Natsu stammered a bit, looking around like he was searching for words. It was Gray's turn to laugh – he didn't do it often, but Natsu could always bring it out of him.

"I... yes?" Natsu said eventually, running a hand over his face. "Gods, you're ridiculous." Before Gray could ask what 'ridiculous' meant, Natsu shook his head. "No more—"

"Can I kiss you?" If Natsu had been pink before, now his cheeks were flaming red. He squeezed Gray's hand tightly, staring intently at the bedspread. Gray wasn't sure if this was good or bad.

"Y-yes." Natsu's voice was quiet and Gray felt that warm sensation again, that tugging that made him lean forward and press his lips to Natsu's.

Oh. This was why people kissed. It was warm, and soft, and sent sparks down to his stomach, and for some reason he knew that his hand was supposed to come up and brush through Natsu's hair. Natsu made a sound that made Gray sigh, pressing closer as Natsu's fingers touched his face. He didn't want it to end and he tugged Natsu into him, pressing them together until they were falling back onto the bed.

"Shit," Natsu breathed as they broke apart, forehead pressed to Gray's.

"That's a curse," Gray noted mildly, mind still dazed from the sensations running through him. "Good or bad curse?" Natsu had told him early on that words like _fuck_ and _shit_ and _goddamn_ could have many meanings, which was typical of the confusing mess of the English language. And Natsu used those words often.

"Good curse," Natsu murmured, wrapping an arm around Gray's waist and pulling him closer. Their bodies fit together, warm and comforting, and Gray barely heard Natsu's soft whisper of, "I like you." He huffed, burying his face in Natsu's hair.

"I know."


	4. chapter 4 - the boys are back in town

The guild hall was exactly the same as the last time Natsu was here – a dingy, shitty-looking bar full of grungy people who looked scarier than they actually were. Except Laxus. He was _actually_ scary.

Gray trailed close behind Natsu as they walked through the door – he hadn't been back since they'd left three years ago, and not all of these were friendly faces. Erza gave Natsu's arm a soft squeeze and smiled encouragingly at Gray as her and Mira headed toward the basement stairs.

"Hey, our alien friend is back!" Natsu turned and glared at Gajeel, who was leaning back against the bar and grinning at them. It rankled Natsu when other people called Gray by something other than his name. That was something only _he_ could do.

He was about to retaliate when Gray touched his lower back and Natsu looked down to see his markings glowing a faint pink. Suddenly Gajeel yelped, jumping up as several glasses of beer from the bar tipped over and poured onto him. A tiny smile played at the corner of Gray's mouth and Natsu snorted, shaking his head.

"Natsu!" A blonde boy appeared in front of them and Natsu's face broke out in a grin, grabbing Sting and pulling him into a tight hug. He sighed happily – leaving had been easy when he'd been pissed at his dad, but he'd missed his friends. Three years was a long time. "Shit, you got even more scars." Sting gestured to the mark on the side of Natsu's neck.

"Yeah, hellhounds don't like to let go," Natsu said, rubbing at it. Gray had used all his magic in that battle and ended up unconscious, so that was one of his injuries that had healed naturally and ended up with a real scar.

"You fought a hellhound?" Rogue's quiet voice came from behind Sting – they had always been shy, but they were deadly with knives. Natsu once saw them take down a wendigo in less than a minute.

"More than once," Gray said quietly, and when Natsu looked up at him, he realized suddenly that his boyfriend was not only anxious but also shy. The last time he'd seen these people, he hadn't spoken any English, and had been seen as more of a creature than a person.

Natsu reached down and gripped Gray's hand tightly. "Yeah, shit's getting weird out there," he said quietly, looking around the room. Everyone here had a harder feel to them, something more intense. Even Sting's eyes looked darker than usual. "Is, uh... dad here?" He asked. Better to get it over with now than hide from him.

"Down in the vault," Sting said, giving Gray a hesitant look. "He's in a mood. Gray, you wanna stay up here with us?" Gray gripped Natsu's hand harder and he squeezed back.

"Do I need to?" he asked, looking between Sting and Rogue. "He isn't planning on dissecting me or anything, is he?" Natsu caught Sting's surprised expression at the fact that Gray could both understand them and speak perfectly understandable English. Gray sighed. "You're looking at me funny." He turned to Natsu, giving the look that asked if he'd made some sort of cultural mistake. Natsu shook his head.

"Well, you're, um... different," Sting said hesitantly, gesturing for them to come join him and Rogue at a table. "And... together?" He looked at their joined hands, lifting an eyebrow.

"Mhmm," Gray replied, leaning over and pressing a quick kiss to Natsu's cheek. "And I couldn't help learning English listening to him, he never shuts up." Natsu grumbled and elbowed Gray in the ribs as they settled down at the table.

"He's not wrong, Natsu," Rogue said, smiling at him. Rogue and Sting had been partners – hunting wise and romantically – for longer than Natsu had known them, and they worked together as if they were one person. Rogue was deadly with their daggers, and Sting had a steady hand and a knack for wielding magical weapons.

"Anyway," Natsu said, sticking out his tongue at Gray and changing the topic. "It's been a weird few years." He drummed his fingers on the table and glanced over at Gray, raising an eyebrow in a silent question. Gray hesitated, then nodded. "Look, we're not staying here – you know where we'll be. Come meet us tonight and we'll fill you in."

"Don't you want to tell Gildarts?" Sting asked, frowning. "If something's coming, the guild should know."

Natsu put a hand on Gray's forearm and squeezed, shaking his head. "I don't trust him yet," he said quietly. "Last time he had Gray he... hurt him." He turned Gray's arm to show them the scars that Gildarts' interrogations had left behind. Rogue let out a soft breath and shook their head.

"Why..."

"He was scared," Gray said gently, pulling his arm back. "And with good reason. You still don't know what I am." His voice took on a sad tone, and Natsu shook his head, wrapping an arm around Gray.

"Doesn't matter," he said quietly. "You've saved me hundreds of times, taken bullets and hits for me, carried Erza out of a burning building..." Sting and Rogue's eyes widened, impressed. "You're not dangerous, and if he tries to pull that shit again, I will fucking fight him."

Gray gripped Natsu's hand tight as Sting and Rogue began to ask questions, curious about their adventures. He glanced around the guild, catching a few people staring that quickly looked away. Gajeel was still glaring at him and Gray raised his eyebrows at the man.

He sighed when Gajeel looked away, turning back to the bar. They were all scared of him – all of them except Natsu. Even Erza had shown fear occasionally, when they'd been in dire straits and his magic had flared up out of control. It had never hurt any of them, but it was still wild, unpredictable. He glanced back down at the marks on his arms, focusing and changing the color to a silvery white.

"Hey Dazzler, what's up?" Natsu's voice was teasing, and Gray sighed at the ridiculous nickname.

"I don't know—"

"...who that is, I know," Natsu said, kissing his nose. "That's why it's funny. You okay?" He ran a thumb over the marks on Gray's arms. Gray could see Sting peering at him curiously from across the table and he hesitated a moment before rolling up his sleeve and holding his forearm out for inspection. He looked away, tensing for the inevitable look of fear from them.

"Holy shit that's cool," Sting breathed, peering at the changing colors. Gray blinked, risking a look at him, and was surprised to see not fear but amazement on his face. "Can I touch them?"

"Uh... sure?" He started a little when Sting's fingers brushed over them, smiling at the excited expression on the other man's face when the colors changed from white to blue.

"What does that mean?" Rogue asked, leaning but not touching. They didn't seem scared though, just curious. Gray went to reply but Natsu took over, leaning his elbows on the table and grinning. He looked... proud.

"The whitish blue is protective stuff, like barriers," he said excitedly. "Pink is healing, it's crazy how many times he's saved us. Red's like fire, black is just this crazy..."

Gray stopped listening, resting a hand on Natsu's thigh and focusing on his magic. His closed his eyes, trying to feel it, where it usually rested underneath the marks. It felt like a living being sometimes, but something that was tamed – a pet that answered its masters call. Since he'd been hit by that demon sickness, though, it hadn't been cooperating.

He prodded at it now, curious. It shied away from him, and Gray felt like it was growling. It was angry at him, but why?

 _Listen to me,_ he thought, and was surprised when there was an answer.

 _ **Esaeu ona raeq ednaerdh araeuks**_ , it replied, and the sensation made Gray shiver. He focused on the words, trying to remember what it meant in that language. _You are not strong enough._ How could that be? He'd been wielding this power for three years now, and his magic had never spoken back.

 _ **S'es rael?** _He asked, feeling uncomfortable with the words. He rarely used them now, except when a new concept appeared that he couldn't communicate. _Why now?_ He repeated. The magic ignored him. He huffed, frustrated, and opened his eyes.

"You okay?" Natsu asked, squeezing Gray's hand on his thigh. "You wanna stay up here while I go see dad?" Gray looked over at Sting and Rogue, uncertain. Natsu was his lifeline here, the only person who didn't think he was dangerous and didn't want to study him. But Rogue and Sting didn't seem afraid, and he wasn't particularly keen on seeing Gildarts again.

"Yeah," he replied, sighing. "You go. I'll be fine." Natsu stood, leaning down and kissing him gently before squeezing his hand and moving away.

"Rogue, you wanna grab us something to eat?" Sting leaned over and kissed his partner, smiling when Rogue headed over to the bar. Then he leaned towards Gray and grinned.

"Tell me," he said conspiratorially, "the stupidest thing Natsu has done over the last three years."

* * *

Natsu ran his fingers along the railing as he made his way down into the vault. He knew he was stalling, taking the steps as slowly as possible, examining the scars on the back of his hand in the dim light. He'd been ignoring his father's calls for years now, letting him speak with Erza instead. Now he had no choice but to face Gildarts.

He stepped into the room at the bottom of the stairs. It was large and round, and held a table in the center with a devil's trap both on the ceiling and under the rug on the floor. A cabinet off to the side held implements like holy water, silver knives, and iron bars. Natsu shuddered, trying not to think of the last time he'd been here.

A door off to the right of the room held Gildarts' office, and Natsu could see his father with his boots kicked up on the desk. He sighed and walked up to the office, leaning against the doorway.

"Hey, dad."

Gildarts looked up, surprised, and set down the book he was reading, standing up and moving around the desk. He looked for a moment like he was going to hug Natsu, but stopped himself at the last second.

"Your hair's longer," Gildarts said finally, shifting uncomfortably. Natsu reached up to touch it – he hadn't had a haircut since they'd left, and it was already past his shoulders.

"Uh, yeah." He sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Look, you know I don't wanna be here so lemme get something straight. I'm not gonna watch you test or experiment on him. If I don't like it, or he doesn't like it, we're leaving."

Gildarts was silent for a moment, crossing his arms over his chest. Eventually, he sighed. "I understand, son," he said. "But you have to understand that I still don't trust him. He's different, and dangerous, and we don't know—"

"He's not dangerous," Natsu insisted, feeling the ball of tension rising in his chest that came every time he fought with his father. "You just don't know him. He's smart, and quick, and incredibly brave. He's saved my life over and over."

"You remember that dog that lived next door when you were little?" Gildarts changed the subject suddenly and Natsu frowned. "She was gentle as they come, loved you to death. You played with her for two years, every day." Natsu clenched his teeth, realizing where his dad was going with this. "Remember where you got that scar?"

Natsu's hand came up to touch his cheek, where a ragged white scar ran from his eyebrow to his jaw. "Yeah, she bit me," he said, exhaling sharply. "Gray isn't a fucking dog. He's a person."

"But he's _not,"_ Gildarts insisted, rubbing his temples. "He's not human and you know it. This book proves it, Natsu, you just have to—"

"I love him."

The words hung in the air between them, drawing out tension until it was a stifling force between them. Gildarts opened and closed his mouth a few times, finally shaking his head in surprise.

"I, uh, I didn't know you were gay."

Natsu groaned in exasperation. _"That's_ what you're taking from this? Seriously?" He uncrossed his arms, then crossed them again awkwardly. "Y'know, if you'd actually spent time when me when I was little, instead of always being gone chasing monsters, you'd know these things."

"You know perfectly well why I was gone," Gildarts said, tone suddenly defensive. "I had to find what killed your mother, and—"

"Why?" Natsu shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. "She was _dead_ , she didn't give a shit if you found out what happened!" His chest was aching and he felt like he was going to explode. "She probably would've been happier if you'd stayed home and been a father instead of abandoning your son!"

Before Natsu could react, Gildarts stepped forward and slapped him, hard across the face. Natsu shook his head in surprise, bringing a hand up to his stinging cheek.

"Oh, god, Natsu, I'm so sorry," his father whispered, stepping back and pulling his hands into his chest. His face was stricken, brows drawn and mouth agape. "That was... I'm sorry, I don't know what..."

Natsu's fingers traced the stinging heat on his skin, then he sighed, shoving past Gildarts and sitting down at the desk. Sheafs of papers were scattered over the surface, most covered in an illegible script that Natsu had never seen.

"What language is this?" he asked, voice curt.

"Son, I'm sor—"

"Don't call me that," Natsu whispered, chewing on the inside of his cheek. "I'm here to save Erza. Show me what you've got."

* * *

"I'll do it." Gray looked at Gildarts – he looked placid on the outside, but Natsu had been with him long enough that he could see the tension in Gray's jaw and temples. "If it'll help Erza, I'll do it."

"Are you sure?" Natsu asked softly, pulling Gray toward him and ignoring his father. Gray drew his fingers gently over the red mark on Natsu's cheek, sighing. He nodded.

"It's just a book. What's the worst that could happen?" he asked, giving Natsu a wry half-smile. Natsu groaned, reaching up and rubbing his fingers over the back of Gray's neck.

"What did I tell you about saying that?" he muttered.

"Superstition," Gray replied, kissing Natsu on the cheek. "Which I don't believe in because I am not bound by your silly Earth rules, remember?" Natsu shook his head, laughing.

"All right, Kal-El. Just... if it's too much, tell them to stop." Gray nodded. "Promise?"

"Promise." Gray brushed back Natsu's hair and smiled at him. "Try not to kill your dad, okay? I love you."

"I know," Natsu replied, squeezing Gray's hands one last time before he made his way to the table in the center of the room. He turned to his father. "Dad," he said quietly, clenching and unclenching his fists. "You're family, but I love him." Gildarts' face was serious, and he met Natsu's gaze. "If you hurt him, I _will_ hurt you."

"Understood," Gildarts said, nodding before heading over to Gray.

"He'll be fine," Sting said, taking Natsu's arm and pulling him over to the sitting area at the side of the room. "If anything crazy happens, they'll get him outta there." Natsu reached up and grabbed Sting's hand, squeezing it as he watched Gray sit down at the table next to Freed.

Gray looked at Gildarts uncertainly as the man approached the table and sat down across from him. A spike of trepidation shot through him and he winced, thinking of the knives and symbols and other things he'd endured last time he was here. He pushed the thoughts away, looking over at Erza, who was sitting with Mira and the others on the other side of the room. This was for her. For his family. She'd saved his life, and now he was going to return the favor.

"We can't translate the text." Freed thumbed through the large book and looked up at Gray. He pointed to the open page, which was full of unfamiliar symbols. Gray suddenly felt dizzy. "Do you recognize any of this?"

Gray looked at the characters and frowned. He could read some English – not as well as Natsu or Erza, but enough to get by – but these words weren't made with the English alphabet. They were... sharper, somehow, and they hurt his eyes.

"I don't understand it," he said. There was something scratching at his mind, something that wanted to—

He gritted his teeth as his arms lit up, on their own, in a way they'd never done before. It _hurt_ , a sharp, stinging pain that felt like needles on his skin. The magic pushed away from him, as if it were trying to escape his skin. _**Gaednaes**_ , it shouted in his mind, and Gray tried desperately to push the magic back down. He knew that word – _destroy_. But he wouldn't destroy. He would protect.

He looked up to see Natsu standing at the edge of the room, Sting holding his shoulders, his hands balled into fists. Gray exhaled, closing his eyes and focusing on the magic, trying to soothe it. _Raenzoh_ , he whispered, picturing his friends. His family. Natsu. _Raenzoh. Quiet._

Eventually it stopped and the pain dissolved. Gray leaned forward on the table, breathing heavily – it felt like he'd been running from something. His entire body ached, a deep strain that pushed on his bones and pulsed through his muscles.

"Some of it is readable now." Freed was talking to Gildarts but the words echoed in Gray's ears. It sounded like he was underwater.

"Is that... did it work?" he asked hesitantly, looking up at Gildarts, who had moved over to the other side of the table. His stomach was churning now and he felt like he might throw up. Gildarts didn't answer at first – he was frowning intently at the book and flipping through the pages.

"Stay where you are." Gildarts' voice wasn't dangerous, but it wasn't friendly either. Gray's first instinct was to run, but a hand on his shoulder kept him in the chair. "Can you read this?"

Gray swallowed heavily as the book was presented to him. The room swam uncomfortably and he felt nauseous. He kept his hands on the table to steady himself.

"Can you read it?" Freed's voice was gentler than Gildarts'. Gray turned his attention to the page. Words in the forgotten language were vibrating around a drawing in the center that perfectly matched the marks on his arms. It made him uncomfortable, like it was echoing through his skin.

"No," he groaned. A hot flash of pain spiked through his head and he grunted, bringing a hand up to his temple. The nausea intensified and everything started to blur. "I don't... feel good."

"Dad, stop!" Natsu broke free of Sting's grip and rushed over. He crouched down next to the chair, brushing Gray's bangs away from his face. "He's burning up, what the hell did you do to him?"

"Natsu, don't touch him." That was Freed, and his voice was tinged with fear. Natsu turned to Freed and glared at him, keeping his hand on Gray's forehead.

"Fuck you," he growled. Gray blinked hard, shaking his head and reaching up a hand to Natsu's wrist. Everything was spinning and he was so, so hot. "What did you do to him?"

"He just looked at the book," Gildarts said, brow furrowed in confusion. "We didn't do anything, I sw—"

"Fuck." Gray slumped forward and Natsu caught him, feeling the burning heat of his boyfriend's skin against his neck. "Hey, it's gonna be okay. We're getting you outta here." He slid his arms under Gray's legs and stood, lifting him up.

"Natsu, you have to look at this." Gildarts put a hand on the book and Natsu shook his head. "It says what he is."

"He isn't a _what!"_ Natsu shouted, backing out out of the circle with Gray clutched tightly in his arms. Mira, Erza and Sting moved over to stand next to him. "He's a person. I knew I shouldn't have trusted you! All you ever do is hurt people."

"Natsu, he's a _demon!"_

There was a long, tense silence. The words hadn't come from Gildarts but from Freed, who was holding the book out to them, showing them a drawing surrounded by indecipherable symbols that blurred and shifted. Natsu shivered, holding Gray tighter against him.

"Look." Freed pointed to the page. It showed the dark silhouette of a woman joining hands with a white silhouette of a man. In the next picture, a white burst of light moved from the man into the woman's stomach, and her hands became claws, staining the man's shadow red until he crumpled to the ground. The woman then sank down below the ground where the light grew within her, finally transforming into another humanoid figure. This one was half white, half dark, and had black marks crawling up its arms.

"What is this?" Erza demanded. Gildarts had begun to move toward them and she placed herself between him and Natsu, hand dropping to the sword that had begun to materialize at her hip.

"It's Gray," Freed said, pointing to the half-and-half figure. "This word, _cambion_ , it's a... a half demon. One of them." Natsu felt like he was going to be sick.

"He's not a demon," he whispered. Gray was heavy in his arms, shivering and burning with fever. Natsu clutched him tighter, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

"He's partly one!" Gildarts raised his voice in frustration, stepping closer to them again. Erza's sword solidified in her hand and she held it in front of her, glaring at him. "Erza, you know I don't wanna hurt you. I'm trying to keep us safe."

"This is your fault," Natsu hissed, backing up until his heels hit the stairs.

"Natsu, listen, we're not going to hurt him." Gildarts sighed in exasperation. Mira stepped in front of Natsu as well, hand going to the dagger strapped to her thigh. "We just want to figure this out. We'll keep him here until we've figured out what's going on."

"Like hell you will," Natsu snarled, letting the other three make a wall in front of him and Gray, who had fallen unconscious, head against Natsu's chest. "You're not touching him."

"We're not gonna hurt him," Gildarts insisted. "We'd keep him in the same room, it's not—"

"This is a _person_ you are talking about!" Natsu shouted. "We've lived with him every day of the last three years, and he has never hurt us." Erza nodded in solidarity and Natsu backed up again, this time moving up the stairs. "We're leaving."

"And I'll be taking that." Erza held her hand out to Freed, indicating the book. He hesitated, looking to Gildarts for guidance. Gildarts stared at Erza for a moment, then gave a short nod.

"Look, you don't have to—"

Natsu was already halfway up the stairs when Gildarts started speaking, pushing through the doors and into the bar. Rogue appeared in front of him, eyes wide.

"What happened?" they asked. Natsu could feel the heat from Gray's body through his jacket, and fear raced through him. Something was seriously wrong, and he didn't know what to do.

"Is there something you can do?" He asked. Rogue looked down at Gray's feverish body. They placed a gentle hand on his forehead, eyes widening in surprise at the heat, then ran their fingers down his arm to the marks, which were pale and inactive.

"I have... my things are upstairs." Rogue wasn't a witch, but they had a way with minor magic that sometimes came in helpful when dealing with things that ordinary medicine couldn't treat – things like werewolf scratches, or hellhound bites. "We can meet you at the hotel?"

Natsu was about to reply when he heard footsteps on the stairs, and turned to see Gildarts standing in the doorway. He clutched Gray tighter to him, ignoring the strain in his shoulders.

"We're leaving." He said to Gildarts, voice flat. He glared at his father, who looked desperate. "If you ever touch him again, I will end you." Gildarts' eyes widened and he raised his hands in surrender. The entire guild was watching now, eyes on the altercation.

"I know you can't see it, but I'm just trying to protect us." Gildarts' voice was calm and even, and it infuriated Natsu. He hadn't realized he was crying until his vision started to blur.

"You're trying to protect _you!"_ He shouted. "Just like you've always done! You're so fucking selfish. Gray has..." he took a shaky breath, anger making everything sharp and surreal. "He's loved me more in three years than you have in my entire life."

The silence in the guild was oppressive. Gildarts' face shifted into something regretful, but he didn't speak. Natsu turned back to the door, and the others followed him, Rogue and Sting on each side, Erza and Mira behind, a protective blockade in case anyone tried to intervene.

By the time they got to the car, Natsu was shaking, holding Gray in his lap and brushing his hair out of his eyes while Sting wrapped an arm around him. Rogue sat in the front seat with Erza, who took off from the guild, tires squealing.

"We're gonna figure this out," Sting said, voice confident. "It doesn't matter what some book says. If you trust him, we do too." Rogue nodded. Natsu made a soft sound of appreciation, then leaned down and pressed a kiss to Gray's forehead.

"It'll be okay," he whispered. The dim moonlight highlighted the marks on Gray's arms and Natsu ran his fingers over them gently. "Whatever that book says, whatever anyone says, it doesn't matter. I love you, and I always will."


	5. chapter 5 - devil's child

"Please tell me we have something to work with."

Erza leaned back in the chair next to the motel bed, looking over at Mira. Mira was sitting on the other bed, legs crossed, the demonic book set out in front of her. She sighed, flipping to another page.

"There's a lot that wasn't translated," she admitted. "It has some information about Cambions, but it doesn't say anything about a... demonic infection? Or how to get rid of it." She gestured to Gray, who was lying on the bed next to Erza, feverish and tossing in his sleep. It had been two days since they left the guild and he hadn't woken, only spoken broken words in the language that nobody understood.

"Fuck," Sting whispered. He sat on the end of the bed, hand on Natsu's ankle. Natsu was asleep too, curled up against Gray with his head resting on his boyfriend's chest and arm thrown over his waist. He'd refused to sleep unless they were touching. "How's he doing, love?"

Rogue made a noncommittal face, running their hand over Gray's forehead. The fever wasn't nearly as bad as it had been – his temperature when they'd arrived at the motel had been beyond something any human could survive. Rogue hadn't been able to bring all of their supplies from the guild, but they'd packed what they could and were doing their best with what they had.

"He's... better, I think." They sighed. "The fever came down a bit but he's... stuck, now. And I'm worried about this."

Rogue ran his fingers over the marks on Gray's arms, which had gone from barely visible, to outlined in pinkish-red. It was as if they were burned into his skin now. Erza had been concerned about his magic going crazy while he was unconscious, but so far nothing had happened.

"All right," Erza said, standing up and pacing over to the door. "What _do_ we know?" She put a hand up before anyone could say anything. "Starting at the beginning – the day he appeared."

"He... spoke another language," Sting said slowly, nudging Natsu's legs aside and settling more comfortably on the bed. Rogue took over Erza's chair, pulling it next to the bed so they could rub a potent-smelling elixir on Gray's temples. Natsu's nose wrinkled in his sleep.

"Yes, and we don't know what it's called or where it's from." Erza nodded, pacing back and forth.

"It's... likely Abyssal," Mira said quietly, running her fingers over the pages of the book. "Looking at what we have here... it's hard to deny that he is likely a... Cambion." Erza's face hardened and Mira raised her hands placatingly. "Maybe he didn't know. He had no memories when you found him, right?" Erza nodded reluctantly.

"And after he showed up, demons started popping up more often," Rogue added. "Before that it was rare, but even we've faced down a few in the past few years. Hellhounds are one thing, but actual demons..." All four of them shifted uncomfortably. Exorcisms were difficult, even with Gray's magic to empower them.

"Okay, so he might be the... cause of that," Erza said reluctantly. "If he did come here from Hell. We've never been specifically targeted though, so either the demons that have come here couldn't find Gray, or they weren't looking for him."

Sting sighed, running a gentle hand up Natsu's back. Natsu hadn't been taking any of this well, and had spent the time he'd been awake either insisting that Gray wasn't a demon, or talking to Gray even in his restless sleep.

"What if..." Sting said slowly, checking to make sure Natsu was asleep. "Okay, let's say he is this... Cambion, and he did come from Hell. Escaped, maybe, who knows? And then him showing up weakened the... veil, or whatever, between there and here, allowing more demons to come through and possess people."

Mira shuddered and Erza moved to sit down next to her, resting a hand on her leg. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "I wasn't thinking, this must be..."

"No, it's fine," Mira said, grasping Erza's hand tightly. "I wish I could remember more from when she was... in me." Rogue and Sting looked on sympathetically. Mira flipped through a few pages of the book and tapped her fingers against it contemplatively. "I still think we should summon her."

"Summon a demon? Here?" Rogue's eyes widened in surprise and fear and Sting shook his head emphatically.

"Are you crazy? That's... horrifyingly dangerous."

"I could control it," Mira insisted, furrowing her brow. "Sometimes, it was... I could resist what she was doing. And if we put up the right wards, she wouldn't be able to get out anyway. I could hold her while you question her, then exorcise her again."

"That can't possibly be the best plan we have," Rogue insisted, feeling Gray's forehead again. They shook their head, sighing. "He needs to wake up, he's not getting any food or liquids. We might have to take him to a hospital or he could die of dehydration."

"We can't," Sting argued, rubbing his eyes. "If he's not human..."

An uncomfortable silence filled the room. Erza rubbed her thumb over Mira's knuckles, staring down at the book. What good was it if they could only read a handful of pages? Gray could probably translate more of it, but at what cost? And that was assuming he woke up, which wasn't looking likely.

"We'll figure it out," Mira said gently, and Erza realized that her cheeks were wet, and that Mira was wiping away tears. "He's going to be okay."

"He's family," Erza whispered, looking over to the other bed. The twitching and tossing had abated somewhat with Rogue's healing, but he still looked deathly pale, and the reddened marks stood out starkly against his skin. "I can't just..."

"What about Silver?" Sting asked suddenly, looking over at Erza. "That hunter, he said he'd killed a demon, right? Maybe he knows something about it that we don't?" He gestured to the book. "Maybe he can, I dunno, help read it or something. Or tell us what's going on with Gray."

Erza contemplated the suggestion. "It's better than putting Mira in danger." Mira looked like she was about to argue but Erza squeezed her hand and she decided against it. "We thought about it when this happened-" she gestured at the contract mark on her wrist "-but nobody's seen him in years. How are we supposed to find him?"

"I might be able to help with that," Rogue said. They swiped a bit more of the elixir over Gray's temples, then moved to the bag where they kept their supplies. "I can potentially do a locating spell."

"Don't you have to own something of theirs for that to work?" Mira asked, shifting on the bed and peering curiously at Rogue's bag.

"Well, I _think_ this is his." Rogue held out a silver bracelet, tarnished and dirty and clearly well-loved. "Gildarts kept it in his office and when I asked about it, he said it belonged to an 'old friend'. Gildarts doesn't have friends, but other hunters say he used to be close to Silver, so I think it's our best chance."

Twenty minutes later Rogue was sitting on the floor between the hotel beds, a map spread out on the floor and candles set on each side. They pricked their finger with a sharp pin, letting a drop of blood hit the top of the map, then setting the pin in the center.

"Why does all this magic stuff require blood?" Natsu grumbled, sitting at the end of the bed with Sting's arm wrapped around him. He'd woken up just before Rogue was about to start the ritual. Natsu rested his head on Sting's shoulder, rubbing his eyes with one hand and keeping another on Gray's leg.

"Give to take," Rogue replied, holding the bracelet over the map with both hands. "Can't have something from nothing." They exhaled, closing their eyes.

"What do we do if this doesn't work?" Natsu whispered, and Sting squeezed him tighter.

"We'll figure something out," Sting murmured. "We always do, right?"

A low, humming tension started to fill the room, making everyone's teeth feel uncomfortable. The spell appeared to be working though, as the pin hovered above the map, then spun over and rested just to the west of where they were.

"Not too far from here," Erza commented, leaning over Rogue's shoulder. "If it's him, that is."

Natsu hopped up off the bed and looked down at the map, then back at Gray, who had stopped tossing and turning but was still ashen. Then he looked around the room at his friends and sighed.

"Guess we're going to Greensborough."

* * *

The trip to Greensborough was distressing. Gray still didn't wake, although his fever finally broke and they were able to change him into dry clothes for the drive. Natsu sat in the back with him, Gray's head resting on his lap, while Mira and Erza took the front. Sting and Rogue picked up their car from the guild and followed along behind them.

"He looks worse," Natsu said quietly, voice rough and shaky. Gray's skin was pale and dry, and his lips were cracked and bleeding. Natsu ran his fingers through Gray's hair, reaching down to gently touch his cheeks, his chest, the marks on his arms. "He's... we have to take him to a hospital."

"Let's see what Silver has to say first," Erza said gently. Natsu tugged the blanket up to Gray's chest - he could feel Gray shivering. "A hospital could be dangerous if they find out what he is."

"He's not a _what,"_ Natsu whispered, so quietly that Erza didn't even hear it. He knew from reading what he could of the book that Gray matched the description of the Cambion – the half-demon – exactly, but he was still loathe to believe it. And even if it was true, Gray couldn't possibly have known about it. He trusted Gray with his life, and Gray would _never_ lie to him.

"Looks like we're here," Erza said, turning left onto a short gravel road that led up to a rundown-looking house. A dog slept in the yard, attached by a chain to the front steps, and a beat-up car was sitting next to the house, mostly disassembled.

"We're sure this is the right place?" Natsu asked as Erza opened the door, helping Natsu lift Gray into his arms. Sting and Rogue had pulled up beside them, Rogue nodding when Erza gestured to the house. "Looks like a shithole."

The dog started to bark as the group approached the house – it looked feral, like it might even be part-wolf. It strained against its chain, snarling at them from next to a sign that said _No Trespassing: Keep Out._

"Well, he certainly doesn't want visitors," Rogue said softly. They stepped forward, holding out a hand to the dog and whispering something under their breath. It growled again and Rogue growled back, crouching down in front of it. "We're not here to hurt you," Rogue said firmly as the dog's ears pressed back against its head and it sniffed their hand tentatively.

"Please don't get your hand bitten off," Sting said, remaining a safe distance away.

"Don't listen to him," Rogue said to the dog, smiling and scratching it behind the ears. "Her name is Jo." At the mention of her name, Jo perked up and began wagging her tail, panting happily at Rogue, who laughed and began petting her.

"She likes you."

All of them jumped at the sound of a deep voice. Rogue stood up slowly, turning to see a tall, dark-haired man with a large scar down the left side of his face leaning on the porch rail. He was dressed in jeans and a dark flannel shirt, and held a rifle casually over one shoulder.

"She doesn't like anyone," the man said, casually hefting the rifle. "So who the hell are you?"

"You're Silver, right?" Natsu stepped forward, Gray cradled against his chest. Gray's breathing was shallow and he was shivering violently against Natsu.

"I might be," the man said. "Who's…"

He trailed off as he looked at Gray, face transforming from bored hostility to something akin to terror. Natsu took another step toward the porch.

"Please, we need – I need your help." Tears were forming in the corners of Natsu's eyes. "He's dying," Natsu said, voice breaking. "I don't know… I can't…"

"How in the hell did she survive?" The man whispered incredulously. Then he looked sharply at the group and scanned the yard. Turning back to Rogue, he asked, "Are the barriers still up?" Rogue nodded hesitantly. "All of you get inside. Now."

They hesitated for a second and the man growled, yanking open the door to the house. "In," he snarled. _"Now."_

* * *

The inside of the house was much nicer than the outside, but it was very clear that Silver was a hunter. The furnishing was minimal, and the walls were undecorated in favor of pinned up photos, newspaper clippings, and police reports. There was a large couch in the living room, and Silver gestured for Natsu to lay Gray down there.

"What happened to him?" Silver asked, rummaging through a cupboard in the kitchen. "Demon bite?"

"He… there was a book," Natsu said quietly, crouching down next to the couch and holding Gray's hand. Blood trickled down Gray's chin from where his lip had split open, and Natsu wiped it away gently. "He read it, and got sick."

Mira held the book hesitantly, uncertain if she should hand it to the man or not. He glanced down at the cover and swore.

"Turn him on his side," he said to Natsu, gesturing for Rogue to join him in the kitchen. "Mix these. And don't argue, I know they're volatile but the mortar and pestle are spelled. It'll be fine." Rogue looked hesitant, but began working under Silver's instructions.

"What can we do?" Erza asked, standing worriedly next to Mira. Silver handed her a jar of salt and gestured to the door.

"Ward it," he said sharply, grabbing a flask of holy water and pouring it into whatever Rogue was mixing. "And praying probably wouldn't hurt." He poured the mixture into a cup and swirled it a few times.

Natsu's hands shook as he helped turned Gray onto his side. "You're gonna be okay," he murmured, keeping a hand in the middle of Gray's back. Silver moved to the couch and crouched down beside him, tipping Gray's head up and examining him.

"Hold him still," Silver said to Natsu, who nodded and gripped Gray's shoulders tight as Silver poured the concoction into Gray's mouth.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then Gray's eyes flew open and he took a deep, choking breath, throwing his head back and groaning in pain. Natsu held his arm tight as Gray thrashed back against the couch, gasping for air.

Silver placed his hand on Gray's chest, a low thrum of magic emanating from it – power equal to that of Rogue's, but nothing near Gray's. Natsu could hear Silver whispering in another language, and assumed it was an exorcism until he caught the final words - _"dnaeqayq zes zaer."_

Natsu stared at Silver in disbelief and was about to say something when Gray fell forward and threw up, shoulders shaking as he retched over the side of the couch. Whatever he'd expelled was a mixture of blood and a thick black substance that smelled like sulphur. Then Gray collapsed backward, breathing heavily with his eyes half-open.

"Gray!" Natsu pushed Silver out of the way, sitting on the couch and running a gentle hand over Gray's cheek. "Hey, baby, look at me." Gray's eyes wandered around the room, a confused frown creasing his brow, but eventually landed on Natsu and widened. "There you go. You're okay." Natsu squeezed Gray's hand, pressing it to his cheek.

"N-na..." Gray coughed, wincing and covering his mouth. His hand came back flecked with blood and he shivered.

"Here," Silver said, handing Natsu a blanket, which he took gratefully and draped over Gray's shoulders as Gray sat up. Rogue passed him a cup of water which Gray took gratefully, downing nearly half of it before Rogue rested a hand on his arm, cautioning for him to slow down.

"This is gonna sound like a stupid question," Sting said slowly, coming around the couch to sit next to Natsu. "But... do you know who we are?"

Gray frowned, blinking a few times and then looking over at Silver. Then he looked back over at Sting and tilted his head.

 _"S...s'abbia ona la?"_ He rasped, hand coming to his throat. "No... not..." Gray shook his head, then looked up at Natsu again. "Yes. Natsu. Sting." He rubbed his forehead. _"Qaeae zukh."_

"Too much?" Natsu repeated. It had been a long time, but he remembered some phrases from back when Gray had still been learning English. Gray groaned, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Mn. Head... hurts." He leaned heavily against Natsu, who kissed his head and then turned to Silver with a furious gaze.

"So what the hell's your deal?" Natsu hissed. Erza stepped forward, surprised, but Natsu held out a hand. "Who the fuck are you?"

Silver stood up, brushing back his hair and sighing. "You think you'd be more thankful after I saved your friend," he said. "You admitted he was dying."

"I'll thank you when you explain why you can speak Abyssal." All eyes in the room snapped up to Silver, who was staring at Natsu with a startled expression on his face. Gray looked up, still wrapped under Natsu's arm, and examined the man in front of him.

 _"Esaeu uthabbiedoth za?"_ he asked quietly. _"S'ae ona esaeu?"_

Silver sighed, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck and shaking his head. "Yes, I understand you," he said quietly. "Because... _esaeu ona zes zaer."_ Gray's eyes widened and he slumped back against Natsu. "You're my son."

* * *

"I'm not sure where to start." Silver sat on a chair, the book from Gildarts laid out in front of him on a low table. He rubbed his eyes, then flipped through a few pages. "I can't read it, I can just... speak some. I did research."

"Why?" Natsu demanded. He was still on the couch, with Gray leaning heavily on him, still shaky and slightly disoriented. Everyone else was leaning on the couch or sitting on the floor.

"Natsu, just let him—"

"It's all right." Silver waved off Erza's concern, looking up at Natsu. "He's right to be suspicious." Natsu continued to glare, a hand resting protectively on Gray's thigh.

"You don't have to growl at him," Gray said weakly, giving Natsu a soft smile. Natsu huffed. "But I do want to know what the hell is-" he broke off in a coughing fit. After it subsided, he sighed and leaned back against Natsu, giving Silver a significant look.

"I didn't know you... existed until you showed up here," Silver began. "I thought I'd... your mother..." he sighed. "I didn't know she was a demon."

"That makes sense," Mira said quietly. "When I was... possessed... people couldn't tell unless she – it – wanted them to know." Erza rubbed her shoulder gently.

"So you... were with her?" Gray asked, frowning. "What... was her name?"

Silver sighed. "She told me it was Mandy," he said quietly. He rubbed his face. "We were together for about six months, and I never saw it coming. She was such a sweet girl. We never planned to have a family, and when she found out she was pregnant..."

There was an awkward silence. "What happened?" Natsu asked.

"She turned," Silver said simply. "Woke up one day to a set of black eyes staring me in the face and a knife against my throat. I managed to get away... shot at her with one of the new bullets I'd made with the scripture etched into them. She just... disappeared. No smoke, no nothin', just a huge black hole where she'd been standing. I thought I'd killed her."

"You shot a pregnant woman?" Rogue asked incredulously.

"She wasn't human," Silver said, looking up and meeting Rogue's eyes. "And that baby wasn't gonna be good news ei-" He stopped himself, glancing over at Gray, who was staring at him with a strange expression on his face. Natsu looked murderous.

"He's perfectly hu-"

"Love." Gray interrupted Natsu, squeezing his hand. "I know you don't want to believe it, but between the book and his story... it's obvious what I am."

"You're not a _what,"_ Natsu insisted, voice breaking. "You're my..."

"I know," Gray said softly, kissing Natsu's knuckles. "And I'm sorry. I didn't know." Natsu shook his head, wiping at his face with his other hand. Gray turned back to Silver.

"So I'm... half demon, then. That's why I can..." he gestured to his arms. The marks were still burned into his skin like pinkish scars. He focused on them for a second and a soft white light flared up, then disappeared as he winced and brought a hand to his head.

Silver nodded. "I know a bit," he said slowly. "About the magic, I mean. I've never seen it before, though." He stared at Gray's arms curiously, then sighed. "Why don't you tell me everything, and I'll see if I can help?"

* * *

It took Gray nearly a week to recover from the demonic poisoning. Silver had theorized that it was caused by an influx of power from the book that Gray's seemingly human body was unable to handle. After several days Gray was able to use his magic again, but it was still as unpredictable as it had been after the demon had materialized in their hotel room.

"So that was her, the black thing in the hotel?" Gray asked, leaning on the counter. "My... mother?" Natsu ran a hand over Gray's lower back and Gray leaned into it, reaching out and catching Natsu's hand.

Silver sighed, running a hand through his hair. Natsu was loathe to admit it, but Silver and Gray did look a lot alike. They even had some of the same mannerisms, despite never having met before. Natsu was still wary of Silver, but had decided to put aside outright hostility in favor of tentative cooperation.

"I'd assume so," Silver said, flipping through an ancient-looking book with pages that were nearly crumbling. "Although I've never heard of a demon manifesting without a host before. Or a host resisting a demon," he added, looking over at Mira.

"She said... things," Natsu said slowly, turning to look at Gray. "In Abyssal. We thought she was talking to Mira, but maybe... she was talking to you." Gray frowned.

"I... don't remember," he said, rubbing his face. "It just... it hurt. The sound." Natsu squeezed his hand.

"So really, we have two separate problems," Erza interjected from the living room. "One, how to kill Edraoth and get me out of this." She gestured to the mark on her wrist. "And two, figure out what the hell Gray's mom wants, and if she's going to come for him again."

"They're probably connected," Sting argued. He stood next to Silver and peered curiously at the book. "The manifestation in the hotel didn't appear until you exorcized Edraoth from Mira. Edraoth must have recognized Gray, somehow, and took the news back to Hell, to his mother."

There was long silence where Gray stared intently at the countertop, hand shaking in Natsu's grasp.

"So now what?" Natsu asked. He leaned his head against Gray's shoulder and sighed. "We have no idea what their next move is going to be, so how do we prepare? Is she going to come after us? Send an invasion up? Try to... to take Gray?" He squeezed Gray's hand harder.

"I have an idea," Mira said hesitantly. She was sitting on the couch with a book open on her lap, filled with symbols and words in an ancient language. Gray turned to look at her curiously. "I think that I can... spy on her. Edraoth, I mean."

Erza looked at her sharply. "That's not a good—"

"You are not in charge of my decisions," Mira said firmly, reaching out and squeezing Erza's hand. "I think that I can use my connection to her to... get a sense of what she's doing. This spell should help."

Rogue leaned over the couch and started reading the instructions out under their breath. "Mm. We don't have all the reagents, but they shouldn't be too hard to find." They hummed and dragged their finger down the page. "It's definitely going to be safer than summoning Edraoth here." Rogue looked up at Gray. "I can't do it with my magic alone. Is your magic... stable enough to help me?"

Gray looked down at his arms uncertainly, lighting them up with a faint bluish glow. It fizzled a bit, crackling where the marks had burned into his skin.

"I might be able to help with that," Silver said, looking at Gray's marks contemplatively. Then he gestured to Sting and Rogue. "You two, go find the reagents. Take protection charms, keep a low profile." They both nodded, and Silver turned to Erza and Mira. "Keep reading, make sure that spell's safe and we have all the wards in place."

"We will," Mira said, ignoring the concerned look Erza was giving her and picking up another book from the living room table.

"And you two..." Silver looked at Natsu and Gray, who returned his gaze hesitantly. "Come with me."

* * *

It took three more days to get everything ready. In that time, Natsu ignored thirty-seven calls from Gildarts, and eventually just gave his phone to Erza so he didn't have to deal with it constantly ringing.

"How're you feeling?" Natsu stood in front of Gray, who was seated on the bed in the guest room where they'd been staying. Gray ran a hand over his face and shook his head.

"I... don't know," he said. He'd been quieter than usual over the past few days, allowing Silver to help him with his magic, but refusing to touch the man or talk to him outside that. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Natsu asked gently, sitting down next to Gray. He took both of Gray's hands in his and brought them to his lips, kissing them. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"I didn't know," Gray whispered, refusing to look at Natsu. "I promise, I didn't know, I wasn't—"

"I know," Natsu replied, bringing one hand up and brushing Gray's hair out of his face. "You know I trust you with my life. I know you wouldn't lie to me. How could you have known?"

Gray sighed. "I don't know how to feel," he admitted. "I'm... angry? I know Silver didn't know about me but I'm still mad at him. And my... mother, this demon. Why... I don't _want_ to be with her, but why did she abandon me? Or why did I run away? I don't know any of it, I don't have any answers, and I can't..." he trailed off and Natsu could see tears in his eyes. "What if I'm the bad guy?"

"Oh, love." Natsu pulled Gray into a tight embrace, resting his cheek on Gray's head. "You're not a bad guy. You're you. You're Gray."

"That's not even my real name," Gray whispered, burying his face in Natsu's shoulder.

"Isn't it?" Natsu asked. "Who you were before... that doesn't matter. I love who you are now, and you've done nothing but protect me since we've met. You're my partner, and I love you."

 _"Dnaeqayq,"_ Gray said softly, wrapping his arms around Natsu's waist. "I'll always keep you safe."

"I know." Natsu sighed, pressing a kiss to the top of Gray's head and sitting up. "Now let's go see if the spell's ready."

* * *

Mira sat cross-legged in the center of the protection circle, a bowl of various herbs and what looked like a chicken's foot settled in front of her. Rogue sprinkled something else into the bowl, then dropped a match into it and murmured something under their breath as the reagents burst into blue and purple flames.

"Are you ready?" Silver asked. Mira nodded, looking up to Gray for the words to the spell.

 _"Chq za ir,"_ he said, and she repeated it carefully. _"Chq za wial."_ Then he held his hand out and lit up his marks in dark blue, pushing a wave of magic into the circle until it surrounded Mira and dissipated into her skin.

At first, nothing happened. Then Mira's head snapped back, her eyes transforming to a milky white as her hands tightened on her knees. Erza made a move to step forward, but Rogue held her arm, shaking their head.

"If you step in, you'll break the circle," he murmured. "Just trust her."

Mira's eyes flicked back and forth along the ceiling, and she began to murmur half-phrases that were neither English nor Abyssal. Erza shuddered as she remembered the red of Mira's eyes when Edraoth had possessed her.

Mira's voice grew louder, distorted and uncanny, and the lights in the room began to flicker. Several bulbs in the kitchen popped suddenly, glass shattering across the floor, and a high-pitched ringing filled the air. The lines of the protection circle flared to life, bright white light surrounding Mira as she continued to speak, her voice building into a crescendo that began to shake the windowpanes, and then—

—and then the sound died, as quickly as it had started. The circle's lights went out and Mira slumped forward, eyes closed. Erza rushed toward her, dropping to her knees and cupping Mira's cheek in one hand.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly, sighing in relief when Mira opened her eyes and they were blue again. "Did it work?" Mira nodded, then looked up at Gray. He returned her gaze, brow furrowed in concern.

"The good news is that I know what they're doing," Mira said, her voice hoarse. "The bad news is that we are not prepared for their attack. And... Gray's mother is much more powerful than we bargained for."

Silver cursed and the rest of them stared at Mira in concern.

"She's not _just_ a demon," Mira continued, keeping her gaze on Gray. "Her name is Azuron, and she's... the Queen of Hell." Gray's eyes widened and he took an unconscious step backward into Natsu. "So if she's the Queen," Mira continued hesitantly, "then that makes Gray the prince."


	6. chapter 6 - cold as ice

_Gray was in Hell._

 _Everything was hot and suffocating, and the air around him was thick with the smell of sulfur and ash. Screams echoed around him and he wanted to cover his ears, but his body was frozen. He couldn't move, and panic crept slowly up his arms, pushing hot breaths out of him and making him dizzy._

 _"Welcome home." A figure appeared next to him – a dark, twisted shape that slowly coalesced into something vaguely human and smiled at him with razor-sharp teeth. Gray wasn't sure how, but he knew that it was Azuron. His mother. "You're finally back," she murmured._

 _"This is a dream," Gray whispered, but Azuron shook her head._

 _"It's a vision," she said, reaching out and running a cold hand over his cheek. "Of the future. I'm coming for you, to bring you home."_

 _An ache spread through Gray's chest as he looked down at himself – his hands were too big and ended in claws, sharp and black and dripping with blood._

 _"I don't belong here," he whispered, taking a step back._

 _"But you do, Zrael," Azuron murmured, brushing hair back from his face and giving him a sharp smile._

 _"That's not my name." Gray could feel tears on his cheeks, but they were icy cold, and when he wiped his face, his hands came away red. "I have a home."_

 _"None of that is real," Azuron replied, grasping Gray by the back of the neck and forcing him to look over the edge of the cliff. Screams filled the air, animal cries of agony, and they were all faces he knew – Sting and Gildarts and even Silver._

 _"I won't come back," Gray said, closing his eyes as Azuron's claws pierced the skin of his neck. "I can't."_

 _"Then I'll rip apart everything you love until this is all you have left."_

* * *

Gray woke up crying with Azuron's words ringing in his ears. He gasped for air, pulling away from Natsu and burying his face in his pillow to muffle his sharp sobs. Panic and terror coursed through him, and the marks on his arms burned, sharp and angry.

Natsu mumbled something in his sleep and rolled away from Gray, and Gray pushed himself quietly out of bed, wiping his face. The book from Gildarts sat on the bedside table and he grabbed it, slipping quietly out of the bedroom and out the back door of the house.

The sun was just rising – a deep, ominous red that dragged Gray back to screams and a deep, uncertain sense of fear. He shuddered, settling on the porch steps and running his fingers over the cover of the book as he gazed up at the sky.

 _I'll rip apart everything you love until this is all you have left._

 _"Ustolo,"_ Gray whispered, holding out his hand and willing flames to appear. The marks on his arms flared up briefly and then quickly dimmed, leaving Gray dizzy and frustrated. _"Glacio,"_ he growled, but nothing happened, and the itch under his skin intensified, sharp and searing.

Gray groaned, dropping his head into his hands and letting out a shaky breath. Latin had always worked before, and he'd even gotten to a point where sometimes, the magic had come to him without words. Now it fought him, refusing to come at his call.

He knew what it wanted.

Gray glared at the book in his lap, running his fingers over the cover. The others had looked through it, combing out any information that had been translated, but it just confirmed what they already knew.

Gray was a half-demon.

Gray was Silver's son.

Gray's mysterious powers came from Hell, where his mother was the queen.

Gray took a shaky breath and opened the book, flipping to a random page. It didn't make sense. The sharp, unfamiliar letters swam in front of his eyes and he felt the nausea rising again, but he fought it down stubbornly, turning the page and trying to find something he recognized. Every once in a while, a symbol pushed an uncomfortable feeling into Gray's chest.

This one was anger.

This one was betrayal.

This one was unimaginable pain.

 _I'm coming for you,_ Azuron's voice whispered. _I'm coming to bring you home._

Gray drew his fingers slowly over the words and felt the markings on his arms responding to the unfamiliar language. He looked across the yard at the scarecrow that Silver had set up for him to practice on, then glanced back at the house. Everyone was still asleep.

Gray closed his eyes, feeling inside for the magic that was recoiling from him.

 ** _"Xunr,"_** he growled. The rough syllables hurt his throat, but the marks on his arms immediately burned a bright red, and flames appeared in his palm. **_"Iya,"_** he said reluctantly, and the other brands turned to soft crystals of ice.

An ache spread in Gray's chest as he looked between the two colors, and he closed his eyes again, prodding at the magic. It pulled back as he snarled at it, and the uncomfortable prickling sensation returned under his skin. It grew quickly, spreading down his chest and his arms, and Gray felt tears in his eyes as he whispered, **_"gaoy."_**

The marks instantly turned black and Gray held up one hand, palm out toward the scarecrow. He didn't look up as the magic burst from his fingers, immediately disintegrating the pile of cloth and straw.

"Hey, you."

Gray jumped as a gentle hand touched his shoulder, and he jerked away from the contact before he realized it was Natsu, standing behind Gray and rubbing his eyes.

"Sorry," Gray said quickly, letting go of the magic. His markings returned to normal and he sighed, shutting the book and shuffling over to make room for Natsu on the steps.

"You okay?" Natsu asked gently.

"No," Gray whispered. He could see Natsu's gaze lingering on the pile of ash, and he wanted to cry. Natsu sighed, reaching out and taking Gray's hand. Gray reluctantly let Natsu draw his fingers over the markings, then press soft kisses to both his wrists.

Gray pulled his hands away and rubbed his face, shrinking away from Natsu and trying to shake away the remnants of his dream. How could Natsu stand to be near Gray, now that everyone knew what he was? What was Natsu still doing here? He should leave, they should all leave, and then they'd be safe.

"How can you say that?" Natsu asked. His eyes were sad, and Gray realized he'd said the last bit out loud. "I love you," Natsu added, reaching out and brushing Gray's hair from his eyes. He didn't say anything when Gray flinched.

"How can you love me?" Gray asked, looking down at his hands. "I'm a monster."

"No, you aren't," Natsu said gently, pulling Gray close until his head was resting on Natsu's shoulder. "You're the same person I've been in love with for three years. I don't care where this comes from." Natsu ran his fingers over Gray's marks and Gray shivered. "You've never used it to hurt."

"I just…" Gray sniffed, pressing his face to Natsu's shoulder. "I had another dream, and it's… she says I belong there. What if… what if I did something? Something bad? What if I'm not… good?"

"We'll figure it out," Natsu reassured him, kissing Gray's head. "I know everyone else is scared, and I know that hurts."

Gray let out a shaky breath. Ever since Mira's revelation two days ago, Gray had been isolating himself from the frightened looks of his friends. Even Erza, who had been willing to sacrifice herself for Gray, seemed uncertain around him, and the look on her face when Gray used his magic made Gray want to cry.

Gray and Natsu sat in silence for a long time, until the sun hung lazily above them and the clouds were a soft, wispy pink. The sound of the door opening and a set of heavy footsteps on the deck jarred them out of their reverie, and both of them looked up to see Silver standing behind them. His mouth was set in an unhappy line, and he looked at Gray uncertainly.

"What do you want?" Gray asked roughly. He'd been avoiding Silver as well, uncertain how to feel about the father who had suddenly appeared in his life.

"I talked to Gildarts," Silver said eventually, carefully not looking Natsu in the eye.

Natsu squeezed Gray's knee. "And?" he asked.

"We both agreed that it's best to get everyone back to the guild," Silver said. He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably.

"That's stupid," Natsu argued. "If we do that, we're just putting everyone in one convenient location for them to wipe us all out. We should spread out to the safe houses – they won't know where Gray is."

Silver shook his head. "From what Mira has said, this is… we haven't seen anything like this before." He looked over at the pile of ash in the yard, then back to Gray with his eyebrows raised. Gray felt sick. "We'll need everything we have to keep us safe, never mind fight back."

Natsu tracked Silver's gaze, then looked back down at Gray's arms. "You mean you want Gray to protect us," he said. His voice was flat, and Gray could feel the hard anger behind it.

Silver sighed. "Maybe?" he said. "If you…"

A dark, hot anger boiled in Gray's chest, and another flash of blood and screams rippled through his mind. He quickly pulled away from Natsu, pushing himself up and clenching his hands into fists.

"We need to—"

Before Silver could finish his sentence, Gray pushed past him and headed into the house without saying a word.

* * *

The drive back to the guild was tense and quiet. Gray sat in the back seat with Natsu, staring down at his marks, flaring them up and then letting the magic go. It was getting stronger. The more he practiced, the more he struggled with it, the more he _spoke_ to it in that language he hated…

"Hey," Natsu whispered, reaching over and resting his hand between them on the seat. Gray hesitated, then let the sparks on his arms die out completely and laced their fingers together.

"You should let me leave," he said quietly. Natsu squeezed his hand, and Gray could feel Erza looking back at him in the rearview mirror. "I'm just putting you all in danger."

"Gray," Natsu protested. "Don't—"

"Don't what?" Gray interrupted. "Don't try to keep you safe?" He looked over at Natsu, jaw tight. "If it's me they want, let them have me."

"Don't be stupid," Natsu growled as the car bumped over the gravel road. The smell of dust filled the vehicle, and Gray could feel the grit between his teeth. Sting's car rumbled along ahead of them, kicking up dirt and rocks.

"I'm not being stupid," Gray argued, trying to pull his hand away. Natsu refused to let go and squeezed Gray's fingers instead, giving Gray a hard look. Gray's cheeks felt tight, and he blinked hard to keep himself from crying. "I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me," he whispered.

Natsu sighed, running his thumb over Gray's knuckles. The afternoon sun slanted through the car windows, casting shadows over the two of them and dancing along the dust motes, illuminating the air around them with a golden glow. The soft hum of classic rock came through the front speakers, turned down so low it was barely audible.

"If you want to be pragmatic," Erza said after a while, looking back at Gray, "giving you over to them wouldn't be strategic. They want you for a reason, and that reason can't be a good one." She sighed, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel. "I'm with Natsu – we care about you. You're family. But in terms of practicality… it's safer to have you on our side."

Gray didn't say anything, just pressed his forehead against the cool glass of the window and watched shadows stretch out across the fields. Something scratched at the back of his mind, like a word on the tip of his tongue that he couldn't quite remember.

Who was he? What had he done?

Gray closed his eyes, sighing in frustration. Natsu shifted closer, humming softly and drawing his fingers through Gray's hair. The sensation was soothing and familiar, but it wasn't enough to calm the buzzing in Gray's mind. His marks hurt – a sharp, burning pain that mirrored the anxiety in his stomach. Tension crashed through him in waves, and he tried to focus on the soft brush of Natsu's thumb on the back of his neck.

"Why don't you sleep for a bit?" Natsu said softly, wrapping his arm around Gray and holding him tight. "I've got you."

Gray nodded, closing his eyes and leaning back into Natsu, breathing in the familiar scent of gunpowder and Old Spice. Natsu kissed Gray's temple and Gray sighed, letting himself slowly fall into sleep.

 _"You were made to be perfect."_

 _Gray eyes flew open at the sound of Azuron's voice. They stood in a large, circular room with an intricate black throne at the center. As Gray stepped closer, he realized that the chair was made of charred bones._

 _Gray felt bile rising in his throat, and focused on not being sick._

 _"Demons can't exist on Earth," Azuron continued, disappearing and reappearing immediately behind Gray. He jumped, shivering. "At least not for long. We need to possess humans if we want to stay, and their bodies are weak. But you – you can walk between worlds. You're a new breed of monster."_

 _"I'm not a monster," Gray whispered, wishing he believed his own words._

 _"But you are," Azuron purred, drifting her fingers along Gray's shoulders as she moved to stand beside him. "You're the perfect demon – one who can bring us all to the surface and take what we need. Help us destroy the Earth."_

 _"Fuck you," Gray spat, pulling away from Azuron. He turned toward the door and was startled by the appearance of a body on the floor._

 _It was a man, identical to Gray except for his hair, which was shockingly white. His wide, unseeing eyes were the same as Gray's – one grey, one dark – and he had similar marks running up his arms. They were faded and white, and blood dripped from a gaping wound in his stomach, spreading across the floor and filling the air with a sharp, coppery tang._

 _"Xor'areth," Gray whispered. The name appeared in his mind, unbidden, and suddenly there were flashes of memory – desperate fights, exchanging blows, drawing blood from each other as they tore each other apart._

 _Fighting for the throne._

"Gray!" Natsu's voice broke through the haze around Gray and he shook his head, trying to pull himself out of the nightmare. "Erza, there's something wrong, he's having a seizure or something."

Gray couldn't open his eyes, couldn't feel Natsu's hand in his, couldn't do anything but stare at the body in front of him while Natsu's frantic voice echoed in his ears.

 _"Let me go," Gray growled, tearing his gaze away from the bloody corpse and turning back to Azuron. "This isn't real. I can't…"_

 _But it was real. More memories bombarded Gray and he dropped to his knees, recalling searing pain as the marks were branded into his arms. He remembered the first time he'd used his magic, remembered it running wild and out of control, destroying everything and everyone in its path._

 _He remembered leaving – striking down Xor'areth, pinning him to the wall with a blade and watching the light in his eyes dim as blood ran hot and sticky down to the floor. Then running, and running, and blinding brightness—_

 _—and Natsu's terrified face, and the overwhelming urge to protect._

"Gray!" This time it was Mira's voice, and suddenly Gray could feel her hand on his wrist, burning against his skin. He tore his hand away from her as his eyes flew open, and he gasped for air, pressing himself back against the seat.

"Hey, love, look at me," Natsu said quietly, voice thick with tears. "Gray, honey, c'mon. What's wrong?"

Gray blinked a few times, turning to see Natsu staring at him with a terrified expression on his face.

"I don't… I…" Gray fumbled for words, letting Natsu take his hand and squeeze it tightly. Images of blood and vacant eyes and the charred throne lingered in Gray's mind, and he fought against the nausea rising in his throat.

"What happened?" Natsu asked gently, brushing sweaty strands of hair away from Gray's forehead. Gray felt the car slow a bit, tires grinding on the gravel as Erza flicked on the blinker and started to pull over to the side of the road.

Gray glanced out the window and realized they were nearly at the guild. Anxious tension thundered in his chest, and Gray's mind filled with a frantic tangle of terror and confusion.

"I…" he choked out the word, throat thick with fear. "I can't—"

Gray's words were violently interrupted as something heavy slammed into the front of the car, and Mira screamed.

There was a second of silence and then the world started spinning, sharp and painful as bits of glass shattered around Gray, raining around him and sticking into his skin. His head slammed against the window as the car flipped, and then the horrible sound of twisting metal filled the air.

The spinning sensation stopped as the car rocked to a stop at the bottom of the ditch, slamming sideways against a tree. Gray's seatbelt cut into his shoulder and he grunted in pain, struggling against it as he tried to figure out which way was up. Blood dripped into his eyes and he groaned, trying to wipe it away.

A panicked voice said something close to Gray, but it was drowned out by the ringing in his ears. He blinked a few times, reaching up and wiping his face before turning to see Natsu, wide-eyed and shouting.

"—ray, c'mon, snap out of it!" Natsu's voice filtered through the haze and Gray shook his head, wincing at the sharp pain in his temple. "Erza's hurt, we gotta get her out of here."

Gray looked down at Natsu's seatbelt – the buckle was jammed and Gray reached down, pushing just enough magic through his fingers to sever the fabric. Natsu quickly wriggled out of it, then turned and kicked open the door, sliding out and reaching back to pull Gray out after him.

As Gray slipped out of the vehicle, an unearthly scream filled the air – a horrible, ear-piercing howl that cut right to Gray's core and made him feel like he was going to be sick. He blinked a few times, wiping the blood from his face again and looking up the hill towards the guild.

"Shit," Natsu whispered, leaning against Gray. "We're too late."

Writhing, roiling masses of darkness covered the road up to the bar. Reddish gashes that might have been eyes or mouths were visible intermittently, and the sounds of gunshots rang out as the shapes clashed with hunters. Several tangled masses of limbs like the ones they'd fought for the witch howled and stomped their feet, tossing people from side to side and howling eerily.

"How the fuck are they here without hosts?" Natsu whispered, reaching down and gripping Gray's hand.

"She said they can for a bit," Gray said softly. "And… not all of them." He pointed at some human figures with dark, vacant eyes and unsettling smiles. Natsu cursed, turning back toward the car and yanking at the front door.

"Gray! Natsu!" Sting appeared at the top of the ditch, guns in his hands, a bloody rag wrapped around his forearm. Rogue wasn't far behind him, limping slightly but otherwise unharmed. "Are you guys okay?"

"We're fine, but Erza's hurt," Natsu shouted, kicking at the car door in frustration. The window was cracked and the door itself was bent inward, keeping it jammed shut. Mira was conscious and talking to Erza, who was holding her leg and gritting her teeth.

Sting and Rogue made their way down the hill while Gray stared past them, eyes fixated on the battle.

"We've gotta try to get people out of here," Sting said, sliding his pistols back into the holsters and moving to help Natsu with Erza. "We can't handle this, it's a massacre."

A sharp pain stabbed through Gray's temple and he groaned, staggering back against the car and squeezing his eyes shut. When he opened them again, he found himself back in the circular room.

 _"You're close," Azuron said, hovering behind the throne of charred corpses. The room smelled like death, now – Xor'areth's body was still sprawled across the floor, but it was decomposing, and Gray tried desperately to not look at whatever was squirming across the rotting skin._

 _"Stop," Gray whispered. Azuron looked behind him and Gray turned to see that the wall of the throne room had fallen away to reveal the battle from a perspective closer to the guild hall. The air was thick with smoke and screams, and all Gray could see was blood._

 _"You can stop it," Azuron said, raising an eyebrow at him. "Find me. Come back with me, or I'll destroy everything you love."_

 _"You'll just make me hurt them instead," Gray said bitterly. His fingernails bit into his palm, thin rivulets of blood dripping over his fists._

 _"Perhaps," Azuron said, eying the carnage with a vaguely disinterested look. "By then, you'll want to do it. It will be all you can feel – a lust for destruction." A chill ran up the back of Gray's neck as Azuron appeared next to him, claws digging into his shoulder, breath hot on his cheek as she whispered, "you'll tear them apart."_

The image of the throne room faded and suddenly Gray's vision was filled with Sting's concerned face, shouting something as he grabbed Gray's shoulders. Sound rushed back around Gray, hitting him in the chest and taking his breath away.

"I'm okay," Gray gasped, wobbling unsteadily as Sting grabbed his shoulders and held him upright.

"What the fuck was that?" Sting demanded, his eyes wide in terror. Gray shook his head, looking over to where Natsu and Rogue were helping to pull Erza out of the car.

A million memories hit Gray all at once – Natsu in the field where they first met, eyes wide and frightened. Natsu, apologizing for his father and kissing the scars on Gray's arms. Natsu, cheeks flushed pink as Gray called him 'pretty.' Natsu, holding Gray tight and kissing him over and over, pressing Gray into the mattress and touching him everywhere until he couldn't breathe.

Natsu, telling Gray he loved him.

Natsu, promising to find a way out.

Beautiful, sweet, Natsu who Gray loved fiercely, who wasn't going to die at the hands of some bitch who called herself Gray's mother.

 _Dynaeqayq._

Protect.

Gray knew what he had to do.

"I can handle the demons," he said, turning back to Sting. His voice shook, but the terror in his chest was slowly hardening into resolve. He could do this. The marks on his arms itched and stung, and he took a deep breath, turning inward and focusing on the magic. It thrummed under his skin.

"Don't be stupid," Sting argued, looking back up the hill. "There's hundreds of them, you can't—"

"I can," Gray said, grasping Sting's wrist. "I know how to keep you all safe."

Gray could feel tears on his cheeks as he looked at Natsu again. Everything around him quieted as he watched Natsu wrap Erza's arm around his neck and help her out of the car. His face was dirty and bruised and his jacket was torn, and he looked brave and beautiful and fierce.

The sounds of battle faded away, until all Gray could hear was his own heartbeat, and the hiss of Azuron's words in his ears.

 _I'll destroy what you love,_ she whispered.

Gray shook his head, then pulled away from Sting and started to run up the hill.

 _Not if I destroy you first._


	7. chapter 7 - hero of the day

"What the hell does he think he's doing?"

Natsu's voice broke on the last word and he grabbed Sting's arm, staring up at Gray's quickly retreating back as he ran up the hill towards the guild.

"He says he can handle the demons," Sting said, gesturing for Natsu to help move Erza around to the front of the car.

"That _idiot,"_ Natsu hissed, settling Erza down gently until she was propped up against the bumper. Mira pressed her sweater over the wound on Erza's leg, and blood rapidly soaked through it. Rogue knelt beside Erza, reaching into their backpack and digging out a roll of bandages.

"What the hell happened?" Erza demanded through gritted teeth. Natsu turned to her, rubbing his face.

"I have to go after him," he said quietly, crouching down next to her and taking her hand. "He's gonna get himself killed trying to keep us safe."

Erza sighed, squeezing Natsu's hand tightly and nodding. "I did the same when it was his life on the line," she said.

Natsu stared at the red mark on Erza's arm and sighed. "I know," he said. "But he doesn't have to do this alone."

Rogue finished tying up the bandages and looked up at Natsu. "He's stronger than all of us combined," they said softly. "If anyone can do it, it's him."

Natsu shook his head and looked up the hill again.

"I don't care," he said eventually. "I can't just stay here."

Ezra motioned for Natsu to help her to her feet, then summoned her sword and handed it to Mira. Rogue and Sting took both of Ezra's arms and supported her between them, keeping weight off the injured leg.

"Let's go," Erza said, jaw set in determination as she looked at Natsu. "We don't leave family behind."

* * *

As soon as Gray crested the hill he broke into a run, sprinting down the road toward the battle. His markings lit up, sharp and black, and the demons immediately turned to him, red eyes flashing next to jagged teeth and bloody claws. The sky was dark and angry, static crackling between whirling portals that kept spilling demons into the world.

 _ **"Gaednaees,"** _Gray growled, stretching his hands out, palm-forward at the monsters. Black energy shot from his fingers, coursing across the ground and slamming into the wall of demons. A wild howling filled the air and then they began to disintegrate, drifting into a million pieces of nothing as they were sent back to Hell.

 _ **"Yhaeza,"**_ Gray said, stepping close to the portal and breathing a small sigh of relief when it shimmered faintly and then collapsed in on itself, leaving nothing behind.

The power that Gray had been trying so hard to ignore coursed through him, burning his skin and buzzing between his ears. He charged forward, shouting at the possessed people in front of him. One by one they fell to the ground, mouths open as black smoke billowed from them and left them as their exhausted, battered human selves.

"AZURON!" Gray yelled, looking frantically around the battlefield and then realizing that he had no idea what form Azuron would have taken. He wasn't sure if she could temporarily materialize here, like some of the lesser demons had done, or if she needed a host. If that was true, she could be anybody.

Ahead of him, two familiar figures struggled against one of the teeming masses of limbs and gaping maws. Gildarts cried out in pain as the creature threw him backward, and Gray could see blood seeping through the sleeve of his shirt. Silver stood next to Gildarts, breathing heavily and holding a sword similar to Erza's.

"Get down," Gray shouted, darting forward and forcing his magic out toward the beast. It shrieked in pain, rearing up on several of its legs before dissipating in a cloud of smoke.

"Holy shit," Silver whispered, staring at the spot where the monster had been.

"Get out of here," Gray said, turning to the two of them. "Let me deal with this. Take him somewhere safe – Rogue's back down the road with the others, maybe they can help."

"Are you insane?" Silver asked, bending down to help Gildarts to his feet. "You can't handle all of this on your own."

"I can take out the portals she's summoning," Gray said. "Have you seen her?"

Gildarts shook his head, still staring at Gray uncertainly.

"Natsu's safe," Gray added, hoping he didn't sound as scared as he felt. "Go to—"

He was interrupted by a screaming in his head that dropped him to his knees followed by the words, _you came._

"Where are you?" he yelled, blinking to clear the spots from his vision. Everything around Gray blurred into confusing fog that dug itself into his mind and made him dizzy.

 _Are you ready to come home?_

"Gray!"

A voice cut through the haze around Gray, and he looked up to see Natsu moving toward him, pistols out in both hands. He was glaring, face set in hard lines as he stalked through the bodies and piles of dust.

"Go back," Gray pleaded, whipping around as something appeared behind him. Gray's marks flashed black and the approaching creature vanished into a pile of ash.

"I'm not leaving you!" Natsu shouted, turning and shooting a hellhound that was charging at him. Sting and Rogue followed behind Natsu with Erza supported between them, and Mira was nearby, carrying Erza's sword and looking determined.

 _They're stubborn,_ Azuron said in Gray's head, a hint of amusement in her voice. _Humans are like that. It's futile, though._

"It isn't!" Gray growled, looking around him wildly for the source of the voice. He needed to find her. If he wasn't touching her, wasn't focusing on her magic, his plan wouldn't work. He turned back to Natsu. "Go, please, she's here, she'll hurt you."

 _Kill them,_ Azuron whispered. _It isn't difficult. Turn them to ash, just like you did to my demons. The power wants to be used._

"Fuck you," Gray growled, shaking his head. His markings flared up unbidden and he ran his hands over them as if trying to put them out.

"C'mon, sweetheart," Natsu said gently, taking another step closer. "It's okay. We can do this together."

"No, we CAN'T!" Gray shouted, throwing his hands out toward Natsu and sending out a blast of energy that pushed him away. Natsu stumbled backward, bracing himself against Gray's magic. "I don't want to hurt you," Gray cried. "Please, please go. I'm trying to keep you safe."

 _Snap his neck._ The voice scraped the inside of Gray's head and he cried out in pain, bringing his hands up to cover his ears. _Turn them all to dust. You're a monster, it's what you were made for._

"I don't want to be a monster," Gray sobbed, stumbling backward and squeezing his eyes shut. Natsu said something else to him but Gray couldn't hear it over the hissing in his head, the voice that sounded like broken glass.

 _You're my monster,_ Azuron insisted. You belong here. _He can never love you like I can._

"Please, stop," Gray begged. A blast of magic exploded from him, and screams of pain echoed in his ears as a hot breeze blew the dusty remains of demons across his skin.

 _If you won't listen to reason,_ Azuron said. _I'll rip apart everything you love._

Gray's eyes flew open to see Natsu, still approaching him with his hands out in front of him. The battle raged on behind them, and Gray could hear shouts from the other hunters, but it all slowly faded away.

There was nothing but Natsu, and all the ways Gray loved him.

Then Mira appeared behind Natsu, sword dangling in her hand. She stiffened, shaking her head, and Gray caught the flash of white in her eyes just a second too late.

"Natsu!" he shouted, terror racing through him as he pushed himself to his feet and dashed forward. Natsu's brow furrowed in confusion, and then his eyes widened as Erza's blade pierced through him from behind.

"Oh," Natsu whispered, looking down slowly at the tip of the blade that protruded from his stomach, slick with blood. He stumbled forward, sliding to his knees as Mira withdrew Erza's sword. Blood bubbled from the wound and Natsu blinked in confusion, pressing his hand down over his stomach as his shirt turned red.

"H-help," Natsu whispered.

"Natsu!" Gray shouted again, making it to Natsu's side just as he collapsed. Gray caught him before he hit the ground. "No," Gray whispered, shifting Natsu in his arms and pressing his hand against the wound. Natsu's blood was hot and sticky and it ran between Gray's fingers. "Please, no."

"I can save him." Mira's voice was distorted, and Gray looked up at her sneer, her white eyes, the blood dripping down her sword. "Come with me, and I'll heal him."

Gray's gaze jumped to the scene behind her – the demons were in a frenzy now, slashing through hunters and their own kind as a rage washed over them, emanating from their queen. Mira's shoulder was stained with blood, and Gray could see that she'd slashed a line through her anti-possession tattoo.

"I…" Gray looked back down to Natsu, feeling his magic well up under his skin. He'd never healed a wound this serious before, and he'd already used up too much. He barely had enough to take out Azuron. He couldn't do both.

"Make your choice," Azuron said, and a horrible laugh bubbled out of her throat.

"Look at me, love," Gray begged, touching Natsu's cheek. Streaks of red followed his fingertips and Natsu made a weak sound, turning to gaze up at Gray. "You're gonna be okay." Gray barely registered Sting dropping to his knees beside them and tearing off his jacket. Sting pressed down against the wound and Natsu whimpered, fingers tightening on Gray's sleeve.

"Gray," Natsu groaned, breathing shallowly. "You're… not a monster."

Gray shook his head, trying to ignore the dampness that was spreading across his jeans. An angry, choked sound broke out of his throat.

"Don't… let her tell you… what you are," Natsu gasped. His eyes moved across Gray's face, then drifted over to Mira. "I know… what you're gonna do. You c-can save e-everyone."

"I want to save _you,"_ Gray sobbed.

Natsu shook his head, coughing wetly and whispering, "I love you."

"Don't—no, don't say that like it's goodbye," Gray pleaded, looking up at Sting. Azuron watched them impassively, making no move to attack as the horrifying screams and splashes of blood raged on behind her.

"He's going to die soon," Azuron said, voice impassive. "Don't be stupid. Come with me."

"Please," Gray begged, ignoring Azuron's words. Natsu stiffened against him and Gray held him tightly, bending down and kissing Natsu's forehead. "Please, I c-can't… please, sweetheart, stay with me."

Natsu's grasp on Gray's jacket loosened and Gray shook his head frantically. Tears dripped down his chin and spotted Natsu's shirt, which was rapidly soaking through with blood.

Everything around them slowed until there was nothing in the world except the dark of Natsu's eyes. He gave Gray a weak smile, then whispered, "you know what's right," before his eyes fluttered closed and he went limp in Gray's arms.

"No, no, I'm sorry," Gray sobbed, pressing his forehead to Natsu's. "I'm so sorry, I w-was supposed to protect you." An anguished sound passed his lips and he clutched Natsu to him tightly, trying to memorize the way they fit together.

"I love you so much," he said brokenly, kissing Natsu's cheek. "I have to make this right."

It took everything Gray had to pull himself away from Natsu and look up to Azuron.

"I've got him," Sting said softly, taking Natsu from Gray's arms. Rogue appeared next to Natsu with a stack of bandages that they pressed to the wound in his stomach. Sting said something else to Gray, but Gray couldn't hear anything but the blood pounding in his ears.

Gray pushed himself shakily to his feet, his chest aching as he looked down at Natsu's still body.

 _I love you,_ he thought. _You taught me what that means._

"What are you doing?" Azuron demanded. She looked genuinely surprised, the bloody sword still dangling from her hand. Gray swallowed heavily, letting the tears fall as he stepped toward Mira and the marks on his arms turned black.

"I can't let you save him," Gray said, voice rough and broken. "He's a g-good man. The best one I know, and I love him more than anything." He could hear Gildarts sobbing next to them, and Gray gritted his teeth, staring Azuron in the eyes. "And he'd never forgive me if I chose him over everyone else."

Azuron's eyes widened as Gray darted toward her, pressing his hand over her mouth and nose and gripping her arm tightly. The dark spread from his arms, down through his fingertips as he pushed it into her, focusing on her magic and burning it away.

He was strong. She'd made him strong, and now he was going to destroy her.

Azuron thrashed against Gray's grip and the other demons moved in, screaming and howling and baring their teeth. Gray ignored them, staring into Mira's white eyes as he forced his magic into her.

 _No,_ she whispered in his head as she realized what he was doing. _You can't do this. You'll lose it all, you'll die._

"I have nothing left to lose," Gray growled, shuddering as the sensation of magic leaving his body became painful. "I'd rather die than let you have this power." His skin was on fire, like sharp edges were everywhere and slicing at him, and he felt himself grow cold as the magic took his life with it.

He could do this. He could take her down and destroy himself in the process, leaving her with nothing.

Even if he couldn't save Natsu, he could save everyone else.

 _You can't…_

Gray squeezed his eyes closed, pushing everything he had into one last burst as he felt himself slowly going limp. He staggered forward, then spit on the ground and whispered, "see you in Hell."


	8. chapter 8 - save me

Gray wasn't in Hell.

He'd been there enough times in the visions with Azuron to know that this wasn't where he'd been expecting to end up. There was no screaming, just a peaceful calm and the sound of a river nearby.

"Hello?" Gray pushed himself to his feet, looking down to see himself entirely intact. No burns, no blood, not even a bruise to show from the battle he'd just been through.

He didn't _feel_ dead.

Gray frowned, looking around in confusion. He was standing in the middle of a clearing that was surrounded by trees – humid and tropical. Brightly-colored mushrooms sprouted here and there in the lush grass, and when Gray looked up, the sky was a brilliant blue.

"Anyone here?" he tried again.

There was a rustling sound behind Gray and he jumped, whirling around to see a tiny fawn making its way through the grass. It looked at him with dewy, fearless eyes, and Gray crouched down, reaching out a hand until it was nuzzling his fingers.

"Where are we, little guy?" Gray murmured. "I'm supposed to be dead."

"You are."

A quiet voice came from behind Gray and he turned around to see a young girl standing in the middle of one of the rings of mushrooms. She wore a simple white dress, and her hair was a brilliant gold that cascaded over her shoulders. For some reason, Gray wasn't surprised to see her.

"This doesn't look like Hell," he said, settling down on the ground and smiling when the fawn headbutted him, then curled up next to him, resting its head on his knee.

"It's… somewhere else," the girl said, staring at Gray intently. Her eyes were a deep, tawny color, and it made Gray feel slightly unsettled. "We wanted to talk."

"We?" Gray asked. The girl simply nodded. "Uh… about what?"

"Your sacrifice," she said simply.

An ache started to form in Gray's chest, and he inhaled sharply as images flooded through his mind. Natsu, bleeding in his arms, telling Gray, _I love you, you're not a monster._

"Is Natsu…"

The girl gave him a sad smile, then waved her hand and a small pond appeared next to Gray. The fawn stood up and dipped its head down, drinking from the clear water.

Gray leaned forward to stare into the ripples, and saw Natsu. He was still and pale, lying in Sting's arms with bloody bandages pressed to his stomach. Sting's face was streaked with tears, and Rogue looked frantic as they whispered something while touching Natsu's forehead.

"He's not going to make it," the girl said sadly, appearing behind Gray. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder as he started to cry.

"I know," he whispered, reaching out to touch the water. It rippled under his fingers as the image continued. NoW Gildarts was there, touching Natsu's face and sobbing while Silver tried to pull him away. "I failed," Gray whispered, rubbing at the tears that were spilling over his cheeks. "I was supposed to protect him, and I failed. She… I couldn't let her win."

"We know," the girl said.

Gray pulled his knees to his chest, letting a loud sob wrack his body as grief expanded in his chest. It hurt, deep inside him, in the same place that had lit up when he'd learned the word "love."

"I'm sorry," he whispered, shoulders shaking as he cried. "I'm s-sorry, Natsu, I didn't… you wouldn't have forgiven me. I c-couldn't—fuck, I love you so much, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm s-sorry."

The fawn nudged Gray's hand and he reached out to stroke its head, running his fingers over the soft fur on its nose.

"What shall we do with you?" the girl asked softly, settling down in the grass next to Gray. She crossed her legs, then took one of his hands, running her fingers over the marks on his forearm. "You aren't who you're supposed to be."

"I'm not like her," Gray whispered, tears still spilling from his eyes. "I'm not – I love him. I j-just want to… I wanted to save him."

There was a charged silence, and then the girl said, "perhaps you could."

The words barely registered through Gray's grief as he shook his head and cried. She gazed at him thoughtfully, and it felt like she was tearing him apart, looking down into all the dark and confused places in his heart.

"We believe you are worthy," she said finally, giving Gray a small smile. "What would you give up for him?"

"Everything," Gray whispered.

The girl reached out and touched Gray's forehead, and a warm, safe feeling washed over him. Then there was a flash of pain, and nothing.

* * *

Natsu was dying, and Rogue couldn't save him.

The bandages they pressed against the wound in Natsu's stomach were already soaked with blood, and it spread from him, staining Sting's jeans and spilling onto the floor. Natsu's chest shook in short, shallow breaths as he struggled for air.

"He—he's in shock, he's lost too much blood," Rogue said through the thickness in their throat. "We have—someone c-call an ambulance, he needs..."

There was so much blood, and Rogue couldn't stop it.

"I'm sorry," Rogue whispered, wiping at their face and leaving a red streak of blood behind. Natsu's skin was pale and cold beneath Rogue's fingers, and Rogue watched desperately as Natsu's chest shook one last time, then stilled as he slumped lifelessly against Sting.

"No," Sting whispered, pressing his forehead to Natsu's and clutching him tightly. "No, c'mon Natsu, you can—fuck, c-c'mon, open your eyes. P-please…"

A loud, heartbroken wail came from next to them, and Rogue looked up to see Gildarts leaning forward on his hands, staring at Natsu's body as he cried. Silver held Gildarts' shoulders tightly, tears running down his own face as well.

"I'm s-sorry," Rogue sobbed, pulling their hand away from Natsu's chest and swallowing down nausea. "I c-can't, I'm…"

"'s not your fault," Sting said roughly, grabbing Rogue's arm and pulling them close. "You did everything you could."

Rogue slumped forward, shoulders shaking as they cried and touched Natsu's cheek. The air around them smelled like iron and sulfur, and there was a black mark on the floor where Gray had disappeared – charred lines spreading out from where Erza was kneeling, holding Mira against her.

"Is she—"

Erza looked up at Rogue and nodded, pressing a piece of cloth to the deep cut through Mira's tattoo. Mira was limp and unconscious, but otherwise looked unharmed.

"Why didn't he—he could have saved him." Gildart's voice was rough and broken as he sank down next to Rogue, reaching out and touching his son's cheek. "He—why didn't he—"

"Gray didn't have a choice," Rogue whispered through the ache in their chest. "If he'd saved Natsu, you'd be dead."

"I would _rather_ be dead!" Gildarts shouted, struggling to pull out of Silver's grasp. _"Let go of me_ , my son, I—"

"My son is dead, too!" Silver yelled, shaking Gildarts. His eyes were dark and full of hurt, and when Gildarts tried to swing at him, Silver grabbed his wrist, pulling Gildarts tight against his chest. "My son is dead, too."

Gildarts struggled against Silver's grip for a second, then slumped against him as the two of them cried.

Sting closed his eyes, tipping his head down and pressing his forehead to Natsu's as a wave of grief swept over him. He could feel Rogue crying beside him, shoulders shaking as they leaned into Sting.

"I'm sorry," Rogue whispered again, and Sting looked up as Erza knelt down beside them, Mira cradled in her arms. Mira's chest was rising and falling steadily, and a bit of relief tempered the heartache that was expanding in Sting's chest.

"It's not your fault," Erza said, reaching out and grasping Rogue's hand as tears streamed down her face.

"Erza, I—"

She shook her head, wiping at her face, and Sting suddenly realized that the mark on her wrist was gone. He reached out and took her hand, running his thumb over the unblemished skin.

"She must have been one of the ones he killed," Erza whispered, staring down at Natsu's still body. "I... it was supposed to be me."

Sting was about to reply when a deafening _crack_ ripped through the air around them. An ear-splitting roar began to fill the room and Sting winced as brilliant white light started forming in the spot where Gray and Azuron had disappeared.

"What the hell?" Sting shouted, clutching Natsu's body tightly with one arm and reaching down for his pistol with the other. "Get back, we have to—"

The light flared up until they couldn't look at it, filling the entire room until it almost hurt, even through Sting's closed eyelids.

Then, as suddenly as it had come, it disappeared, and Sting opened his eyes to see…

"Gray?"

It was Gray, kneeling in the middle of the room looking completely bewildered, hands out in front of him as if he'd been holding onto someone.

He looked over at Sting, eyes dropping to Natsu's still body.

"Natsu," Gray whispered, staggering to his feet and stumbling over to them. He dropped to his knees beside Rogue, breathing heavily. Sting could see tear tracks on Gray's cheeks, and when Gray looked up at him—

"Your eyes," Sting whispered. The eye that had previously been dark was now a tawny gold color, flecked with a deep, rich green.

"Let me take him," Gray said softly, touching Sting's arm. Sting hesitated, staring at Gray's face, then slowly released his grip and let Gray pull Natsu into his arms. Gray ran his hand gently over Natsu's face, then down his arm until it rested over the wound in his stomach.

Sting's eyes widened as a soft, white light began to pulse from Gray's markings. It ran down into his fingertips, peaceful and scintillating as it spread across Natsu's stomach and up toward his chest.

"I'm here," Gray whispered to Natsu, and his voice was as radiant as the light that surrounded them.

Sting shifted and wrapped his arm around Rogue, pulling them close and pressing his face against their neck. Rogue leaned into Sting as they watched the light wrap around Natsu, running in unfamiliar patterns down his arms and up his neck until his face was lit up like stars.

"Please," Gray whispered, leaning forward and pressing his forehead to Natsu's. "I love you so much, I'll do—anything, I'll do anything. Please come back. I'm so sorry."

Tears dripped down Gray's face onto Natsu's cheeks as Gray cradled Natsu in his arms, the white light glowing around both of them, soft and soothing. It moved down Natsu's chest and pulsed around the wound in his stomach, then sunk into his skin and disappeared.

For a horrifying minute, the only sound around them was Gray's mournful sobs.

Then Natsu took a breath.

Sting gripped Rogue's hand tightly as he watched Natsu's chest rise, and then Natsu coughed, flecks of blood dotting his lips as he struggled for air. His eyes flew open and he grasped Gray's arms, entire body trembling.

"Oh my god," Gray whispered, choking on another sob as he pulled Natsu close to his chest. Natsu's skin was slowly warming, pink returning to his cheeks as he shivered in Gray's arms. "God, you—you're alive."

Natsu looked over at Sting, brow drawn in confusion as he pressed himself to Gray.

"I was..." He blinked a few times, then looked down at his stomach. "I was dead."

"You're okay," Gray said, running his hand down to the bandages. The wound was still there, deep and ugly, but the bleeding had stopped.

"How?" Sting whispered, shifting forward and staring at the blood-soaked bandages. "You're... that's not..."

Natsu looked up at Gray – he was radiant, the soft white light forming a halo around him. He looked ethereal, and Natsu reached up to touch his cheek.

"Your eyes," Natsu said softly, running his thumb under the eye that was now golden-green. "Gray, why..." Gray made a soft, soothing noise and pressed his hand to Natsu's forehead. The same gentle white light flowed from his fingertips and ran down the sides of Natsu's face, and the tightness between Natsu's eyes relaxed.

"Natsu?"

Natsu looked up to see Gildarts crouching hesitantly next to them, eyes red and swollen, and face streaked with tears. His hand hovered in the air between him and Natsu, and he looked at Gray cautiously.

"Dad?" Natsu said softly, rubbing his eyes and sitting up further, wincing at the pain in his stomach. He curled into Gray's embrace, not moving towards Gildarts but not pushing him away either. "Wh-what..." He looked up at Gray.

"I'm so sorry," Gildarts said, reaching out hesitantly. Part of Natsu wanted to push him away, but another part was dragged back to memories of Gildarts holding him through nightmares as a little boy.

When Natsu leaned forward and let Gildarts embrace him, Gildarts burst into tears again, pressing his face to Natsu's hair and kissing his forehead.

Silver's deep voice interrupted Gildarts' tears. "You saved us."

Gray looked up to see Silver standing next to him, giving him a look that Gray couldn't decipher. He slowly pushed himself up to his feet, giving Gildarts a wary look before stepping towards Silver.

"What the hell happened?" Silver asked, reaching out and grasping Gray's arm. Gray shook his head, rubbing his face as the white light around him began to fade. The aches from the battle that had been tempered by the magic were now coming back full-force, and he staggered forward. Silver caught him before he fell to the ground.

"I..." Gray's vision started to blur, and suddenly he was sure that the being had brought him back only to save Natsu, and that he was about to die again.

Gray looked back at Natsu, exhausted and pale but so very _alive_ , and decided that as long as Natsu was safe, dying again would be worth it.

* * *

"If you try to get up again, I'm going to spell you to this bed."

Erza glared down at Natsu, who was propped up with pillows against the head of the bed at Silver's house, bare-chested except for the bandage wrapped around his stomach. He huffed indignantly at her, but stopped trying to sit up.

"I'm fine," he protested, but Erza shook her head, handing him a glass of water and a couple of white pills. He looked at them suspiciously and she rolled her eyes.

"They're just painkillers," she said. Natsu started to protest but she waved it away. "You were _skewered by a sword._ Don't give me any bullshit about being fine, and take the damn pills."

The glower on Erza's face was enough for Natsu to nod hastily and toss down both pills, then drain half the cup of water.

"Are you threatening my boyfriend again?" Gray appeared, leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. Natsu pouted at him.

"She's being mean," he grumbled. "Come save me."

"Uhuh." Gray rolled his eyes and made his way over to the bed, giving Erza an affectionate half-hug as he sat down next to Natsu. "The only person you need saving from is yourself, because you're an idiot."

"Hey!" Natsu managed to look both amused and offended at the same time. "I resent that."

"Resent all you want," Gray replied, leaning over and kissing Natsu's forehead. "You're not getting out of this bed."

"You got out of bed," Natsu muttered, and Gray gently cuffed him upside the head.

"I only passed out. _You_ died."

"You died a little bit," Natsu argued, pouting at Gray.

"I am also a supernatural being with access to powers beyond your mortal abilities," Gray said, trying to keep a straight face.

Natsu rolled his eyes but didn't argue. Instead he reached out and touched Erza's wrist, running his thumb over where the demon's mark had been.

"So, you get to stick around a bit longer, huh?" The words were light and teasing, but there was an undercurrent of desperate relief behind them.

"It's a good thing, too," Erza replied, moving her hand until their fingers were laced together. "You two idiots wouldn't get far without me."

This time it was Gray who looked affronted. "I saved the world, I'll have you know," he said as Erza wrapped an arm around him. He expected her to come back with a sarcastic remark, but instead she pressed her cheek to his head, squeezing him tightly.

"You did," she said, then turned to Gray and looked at him seriously. His eyes were back to normal now – one gray, one so dark it was almost black. The gold had disappeared not long after he'd brought Natsu back. "Are you doing okay?" Erza asked.

Gray sighed, leaning into her and reaching out for Natsu's hand. "I think so," he said, running his thumb over Natsu's knuckles. "It's... I'm still not sure I understand all of it. Having the memories... it feels like it was someone else."

"It was," Natsu said. "You're not a demon, or the prince of Hell, or... or anything like that. You're you, and nothing can change that."

Erza nodded, kissing Gray's temple. "He's right," she said. "And you're stuck here with us."

Gray hummed happily, closing his eyes. He thought of Erza making the demon deal, Rogue trying to heal him from the demon sickness, Sting looking amazed and unafraid of Gray's markings.

He thought of Gildarts, teary with apologies after the battle. He thought of Silver, the way he'd told Gray he was proud of him.

He thought of Natsu – the first time they'd kissed, the way Natsu had fought beside him, the feeling that flooded through Gray when Natsu had started breathing again.

 _I'm not going anywhere,_ he thought. _Because you taught me what family means._

* * *

The sun was hot, and Gray wiped at the sweat that was already dripping down his face. His back ached and he stood up, stretching and staring up at the sky. It was a brilliant blue, unmarked by clouds, and when Gray closed his eyes, all he could hear was the wind rustling the crops in the field.

"Hey."

Natsu's arms wrapped around Gray from behind and Gray sighed happily, bringing his hands down to rest over Natsu's on his stomach.

"Aren't you still supposed to be resting?" Gray asked, leaning back so Natsu could kiss his cheek. "How's the pain?"

He turned in Natsu's arms and brought his hand down to the bandage on Natsu's stomach. It had been nearly a week now, and with the help of Gray's magic Natsu was slowly getting better.

"I'm fine," Natsu insisted. "Erza and Mira both fell asleep, so I snuck out. They need time alone anyway."

Gray made a face, thinking about how he'd walked in on them in the living room a few days before, hands up each other's shirts as they made out on the couch. He'd suddenly understood how Erza had felt last year when she'd accidentally found him and Natsu in a compromising position against their hotel wall.

"What're you planting?" Natsu asked, bringing Gray back to the present.

Gray didn't reply, just crouched down in the garden and pulled Natsu down with him. He took a handful of seeds from a packet next to them and rolled them in his hand, then dug a small divot in the dirt and dropped them in. The earth was rich and cool under his fingers as he buried the seeds and patted it down around them.

Then he looked down at the markings on his arms, closing his eyes and focusing on the smell of the dirt, the feel of the sun on the back of his neck, an image of a field full of wildflowers.

When he opened his eyes, the markings were a warm, bright green. Natsu's eyes widened as he reached out and ran his fingers over Gray's forearms.

"Never seen green before," Natsu said quietly. Gray's lips curved up in a small smile and he leaned in to kiss Natsu.

"I'm not scared of it anymore," Gray said. There was brief flash of memory – black marks, searing hot anger, ash drifting around him – and then he let it go, reaching out with his other hand to take Natsu's. "Look."

Gray closed his eyes and placed their joined hands palm-down on the spot where he'd planted the seeds. He could hear Natsu's soft inhale of surprise as Gray pushed the magic down through their fingers – a tingling warmth that felt like sunny summer days and hope.

The magic belonged to Gray now – not Azuron, not the strange girl in the forest, not Silver, not Gildarts, not an ancient text that called Gray a monster. It was his and only his, and he wasn't going to hurt with it ever again.

Natsu gasped and Gray opened his eyes, smiling as he saw green tendrils sprouting up through the dirt. They grew quickly, leaves unfurling from the stem and a small bud forming in the center. Gray pushed another small wave of magic into it and the bud slowly opened, yellow petals cradling a soft, brown center.

It was a sunflower.

"That's amazing," Natsu whispered, slipping his fingers between Gray's and looking away from the flower just long enough to pull Gray into a kiss. "I love you," Natsu said against Gray's lips.

The marks on Gray's arms turned a soft, sweet pink as he brushed his fingers through Natsu's hair and whispered, "I know."

* * *

 _A/N: I feel bad that this took so long for me to finish, so if you managed to make it to the end, thank you so much for your patience! 3_


End file.
